Butterflies and Second Chances
by shiawasena neko
Summary: Set after the end of S3, before Elsa's introduction into the show. Belle and Rumple have been trying for a year to have a child but it is to no avail. Belle is infertile and nothing can help her. Rumple finds a magical spell that will allow them to have their child, but he has to be the one to carry it. This comes with its own set of problems. Might be OOC.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

In the year that they had been married, Belle and Rumplestiltskin tried everything they could to have a baby.

Everything.

It was something that both wanted more than anything - to have a family - and so they did their best to start one. Sex, which was once fun, was now performed on certain days of the month during which Belle's ovulation cycle reached its peak. It was done in different positions, too.

That didn't work.

So they'd turned to doctors, who had done a variety of tests and had concluded that Belle was infertile.

Then medicines had been given. When one didn't work, the doctors prescribed another, then another.

After that failure, there'd been the attempts at artificial insemination. That almost worked, but Belle lost the baby two months in.

And so, there they were.

Belle was depressed, that much Rumple could tell. She didn't talk much anymore, nor did she smile. Her hair was often unbrushed, and sometimes she would wear the same clothes for days on end.

Rumple tried not to press her about it. She had every reason to be miserable. She would never have her chance to experience the one thing that many women dream of: motherhood.

Still, it hurt Rumple to see his lover this way. Belle was good, pure good, loving and he was sure that she would make a fantastic mother. It seemed cruel that fate had deprived her of the opportunity to be a parent.

The worst part was that it seemed like there was nothing he could do to help. He tried to talk to her, reassure her that at least they still had each other, but it was to no avail. His lovely Belle was all but lost.

00

"I've got it," Rumple announced one morning.

He'd called Belle over from the library to show her something, promising that it would make her happy. Now she stood before him, staring down at the book of spells in his hands.

"You've got what?" Belle asked, confused.

"A solution to our problem."

"Our problem?"

"Yes, dearie, you know…" he trailed off.

Recognition flashed across Belle's face.

"Oh. Oh! And what solution is that?"

"This." He pointed to a page covered in Latin text.

"Magic? Can that actually work?" Belle's interest was definitely piqued.

"Of course it can! I've always known it could, I just had to find the right spell, and here it is!"

Belle's eyes lit up.

"You're… You're serious, Rumple? I don't understand what it says, but I trust you, if you think it will work."

Rumple grinned.

"Oh, it will work. There's just one little issue."

Belle's shoulders slumped.

"Oh."

"Now now dear, it's not that big of a deal! You may just find it awkward. You see, the spell cannot be performed on you. Rather, it must be performed on me."

Now Belle was looking at him as if he had six heads.

"On you? But… But Rumple, you're… you're a male!"

"I am. But the spell is too strong for an ordinary human. And, as much as I love you, Belle, you are fully human. My magic will protect me and allow my body to accept the necessary changes."

Belle took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then exhaled, trying to take all of this in.

"So would you become, like… a woman, then?"

"Internally, yes."

"But you'd still have… on the outside?" Belle didn't dare speak her exact thoughts.

"Yes, all of that will remain the same. The only difference will be here," he rested a hand on his stomach, "As the baby grows, of course."

Belle nodded.

"And… how will it come out?"

"It will have to be cut out."

Belle wanted to cringe, but did her best to hold it back. She didn't like the thought of someone cutting Rumple open like that. In their land, such actions were reserved for occasions where the mother was dying and could not give birth naturally.

"Are you pleased?" Rumple asked, hopefully. He was unable to read the expression on Belle's face.

"Well… yes, of course. How could I not be? We've wanted a child for so long, and if this could make it a reality, then of course I'm happy. But, I do worry about you, Rum. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Perhaps we should talk to first?"

"What could go wrong? You have the dagger. If I need help, I'll ask you to return it to me. And that's just the worst case scenario. My biggest concern is how the townspeople will react. As far as Whale goes… I'd rather wait to see him."

Belle smiled at him, "They won't say anything cruel. They like you now. Well, they tolerate you, at least."

"Tolerate sounds about right. I'm sure some of them will have something to say, though."

"Well if they do then they'll have to face me!" Belle declared.

Rumple snorted and laughed.

"Yes… that would be terrifying, I'm sure."

Now it was Belle's turn to laugh. When she was done, Rumple pulled her close.

"It's so nice to see you smile again," he whispered.

Belle kissed the side of his neck, "And it is so nice of you to do this."

"Anything for you. Just promise me, when I'm seven months along and look as though I've swallowed a watermelon, you won't run off."

"Run from you? Never in a million years."


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

"The spell is very strong, very powerful," Rumple explained, as he set up the kit of herbs and potions that he needed. Lying next to everything was a lock of Belle's hair, which was apparently the most important ingredient.

"And the spell will make me very tired," Rumple continued.

"Tired? For how long?" Belle looked everything over. The whole thing seemed so complex.

"I will sleep for two days after it is cast. During that time, my body will adjust. The necessary organs will grow within me."

"I see. What do you need me to do during that time?"

"Nothing, really. The spell will do everything on its own. Just check on me occasionally."

"Are you joking? I'll be here the entire time!" Belle answered. "I'd be so lost if something happened to you."

"Yes, well, everything will be fine. I swear to you."

Belle smiled.

"I believe you, Rumple. But I'm still staying."

"That is your choice. Now, if you could do me a favor - watch the shop for me this morning and I should have everything ready by this afternoon."

Belle nodded in agreement.

"No problem at all."

00

As promised, Rumple had the elixir created by noon on the dot.

Since it was a Friday, he decided to close the shop early so they could head home and get started.

The liquid that Rumple had made was stored in a small glass vial. It was red with a string of yellow sparkles flowing through it. Belle held the vial in her hands.

As they drove, she tried not to be nervous. It was hard, though. She wondered how Rumple's body would change, and how he'd deal with it mentally. She also wondered about how his age might affect the baby. He was old. Older than her, at least. In 'human' form, he was in his fifties - wasn't that old to be carrying a child? It would be for a woman. But then again, this was all magic. Maybe the magic would make his age irrelevant. On the flip side, maybe it would affect the baby somehow.

Rumple must've picked up on her anxiety, because he rested a hand on her knee as he drove.

"It'll be fine, Belle," he reassured her. "I promise."

"I want to believe you, Rum," she replied, "I'm just… nervous. The thought of anything happening to you frightens me. I mean… have you thought this through, all the way? It's such a huge step and it's going to change everything. You're going to get sick in the mornings, and you'll be tired more often. You might have trouble keeping the shop open. People are going to say things, I just know they will...I don't want to put you through any of that unless you're completely sure that you want to do it."

Rumple took hold of Belle's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Belle, having a child is worth all of that."

Belle looked at him, trying to tell if he was being sincere. She determined that he seemed to be.

"Alright," she said, squeezing his hand back. "As long as you're sure."

00

Once home, Rumple locked all of the doors. He made his way upstairs to his bedroom, Belle following closely behind.

When he arrived, he fished out his favorite pair of pajamas from his dresser - the soft red flannel ones that Belle had purchased for him - and put them on. Then he sat down on the bed.

"Alright," he said, noticing that Belle was watching him closely. "Once I ingest the elixir, I'll fall asleep immediately. It will keep me completely asleep until my body has all that it needs to carry the baby. If you stay with me, you'll likely notice that I seem uncomfortable. You may try to comfort me but you will be unable to wake me."

"At all?" Belle didn't like that last part.

"Serious magic requires much energy. My body will conserve it as much as possible while it changes."

"But… you'll definitely wake up when it's time, right?"

"I will."

Belle nodded, trying not to show her fear.

Rumple knew her, though. He pulled her closer and she sat down next to him. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek.

"I will be fine, Belle. And in nine months we will have our child."

"I know." Belle forced a smile, "I know, Rumple. I just worry. But I trust you. I'll be here for you while you sleep and when you wake up."

"Thank you." Rumple leaned in and kissed her.

After a few seconds he pulled back and held up the elixir.

"Now, then."

Belle looked him in the eyes.

"Good luck, Rum. I love you."

"And I love you too."

With that, Rumple uncapped the vial and drank its contents. He quickly fell over, deeply asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

Belle paced back and forth outside of the bedroom.

Rumple had been sleeping for twelve hours and none of it seemed the least bit restful. When he wasn't tossing and turning, he was groaning, obviously in pain.

Belle had tried everything to comfort him. She'd held him in her arms, held his hand, ran her hands through his hair… the most it did was make him quiet and even that only lasted short intervals.

Sighing, she decided to step outside for some fresh air. Maybe that would help her calm down.

It was a nice autumn evening. The sun had gone down long ago and the neighborhood seemed fairly quiet. Belle sat down on the front porch and looked around.

The stars were shining high in the sky and she could smell the scent of burning leaves from somewhere in the distance. She smiled to herself. That particular scent always made her feel good.

She only had thirty six hours to go. Not so bad, now that she thought about it. If she continued to give herself occasional breaks, she was sure that she would make it through with no issues.

Belle closed her eyes, her muscles slowly relaxing.

Then, someone called her name.

"Belle?!"

Belle opened her eyes and frantically looked around.

"Yes?" She called out, trying not to sound too startled.

Emma soon came into view. She was dressed in her sheriff's outfit.

"Oh, hi Emma," she greeted the blonde.

"Hey. Sorry to startle you. I got called for a disturbance down the street and noticed you sitting here. You seemed kind of out of it."

Belle smiled, "Yes, I was taking a few minutes to unwind."

"Ah." Emma looked her over yet again, then looked at the house. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes?" Belle asked, confused as to why Emma would ask that question.

"Just checking. Sorry. I know you're married and all but… It's hard not to worry about you."

Now Belle was starting to get upset.

"Rumple would never hurt me, if that's what you're implying," she stated.

Right then, she heard what sounded like a scream. Of course. Rumple was probably in a lot of pain and had reacted to it at the worst possible time.

"Uhh… Is he okay?" Emma asked, looking at the door.

Belle stood up, trying to block Emma from entering.

"He's fine, Emma, I promise. He's just in a bit of pain is all. I've been taking care of him for most of the day, which is why I came outside."

Emma stared at her, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. As much as she wanted to believe Belle, something seemed off. She moved towards the porch.

"Can I see him?"

"Emma!" Belle was really upset now. Outraged, really. Why wouldn't this woman just leave them alone?

"Belle, I just heard him scream. It's my duty as sheriff to make sure that he's alright," she said, calmly as possible.

Belle frowned.

"Fine. Come inside. But first, I think I need to explain everything to you."

00

"So… he's growing a uterus?" Emma asked.

She and Belle were standing in front of the bed, watching as Rumple tossed, turned, moaned and groaned.

"Among other organs."

"That's… Disturbing," Emma replied.

"He offered to do it so that we can have a child."

"Yeah, I get that," Emma said. "It's just weird is all."

Belle glared at her.

"What? I'm just being honest."

Belle was tired. Tired from the day's events and tired of Emma's attitude.

"Unless there's something you need to do here, I'd like to ask you to leave."

"Yeah, that's fair," Emma answered, heading towards the door. "Just… call me if you guys need anything."

"We will. And Emma?"

Emma turned around to face her again.

"Can you keep this to yourself?"

Emma nodded.

"Yeah, sure. No problem."

"Great. Thank you."

Emma nodded again, then left.

00

Eventually, Belle fell asleep on the couch on the first floor. She hadn't been able to bear staying in the same room as Rumple and being unable to help him.

She slept for several hours, but didn't feel like she had gotten much rest when she woke up.

Sighing, she stretched and looked at the clock. It was noon. That meant that there was only another twenty four hours of this. She was halfway there.

Though she was hungry and needed a shower, she decided to check on Rumple first. She hadn't heard any sounds coming from the bedroom. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

She quietly walked up the stairs and opened the door.

Rumple was still in bed, sweating and breathing heavily, his eyes clenched shut.

Belle frowned. Clearly, he was in a lot of pain.

She sat on the edge of the bed and pushed his hair back from his forehead, only to notice something odd. His hair, which had previously had gray streaks in it, was now completely brown.

Belle took a closer look at him and noticed that his face also looked different. He looked… younger. His skin looked tighter.

How odd, she thought to herself.

All in all though, he seemed to be doing okay. As okay as he could be, really.

With that in mind, Belle left to shower and eat. She planned to spend the day cleaning the house and doing errands. Once Rumple woke up, she wanted everything to be ready and perfect for him.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

Rumple woke up earlier than Belle had anticipated.

She was resting on the couch, reading a book when she heard footsteps upstairs. She glanced at the clock, noting that it was 8pm.

Curious as to what was going on, she got up and walked towards the stairs, only to see Rumple walking down them.

"Rum! You're awake!" She cried out, happily.

Rumple was awake, alright, but he seemed to be in pain. He was leaning heavily on the railing with one hand while holding on to his pajama bottoms with the other. The second part of that didn't really register with Belle until she moved to help him. She wrapped an arm around his waist in an attempt to guide him down the steps to find that he was much thinner than he had been two days prior.

Rumple had never been a big man, but in recent years he had put on a tad bit of weight, most of which had gone to his stomach. Now, though, it seemed perfectly flat. He was holding on to his pajama pants because they would've fallen down if he didn't.

Quickly as possible, she led him over to the couch to sit.

"Thank you," he mumbled, as he sat down, leaning back against the cushions.

His hair was still matted with sweat and he had bags under his eyes, despite having slept for almost 36 hours.

"Can I get you anything?" Belle asked. "Water? Food? Medicine?"

Rumple smirked. He thought it was cute that his wife was so concerned about him.

"Water would be nice," he answered.

Belle smiled and got up to get it. When she returned, she saw that Rumple looked a bit more composed. She handed the glass over and watched as he downed it.

He sighed once he finished it.

"That feels a lot better," he admitted, pushing his hair behind his ears.

"Good, good." Belle wasn't entirely sure what to say. "So… You look… different."

Rumple nodded, "I noticed that as well."

"Not that it's bad. You look younger, if anything." She couldn't help but check him out once again. He definitely looked more fit and much closer to her age.

"The elixir was supposed to put my body in optimal condition for the pregnancy. I suppose that I was too old for it, so it deaged me."

"Wow." Belle was stunned. "I mean, I like you either way, older or younger," she quickly added.

Rumple laughed.

"It's alright, Belle. Everyone looks better in their youth."

"How… How old are you?"

"Oh, about three hundred or so."

Belle rolled her eyes, "I meant… Ah, nevermind."

"I'd say that physically I most resemble how I looked when I was thirty five."

"And how old were you before? When you became the dark one?" Belle felt stupid, realizing that she had never actually asked Rumple his age before.

"Forty nine."

"That's not so old."

"It's not so young, either."

"When the baby's born… you'll go back to being forty nine again, then?"

"Most likely."

"What do you mean most likely? I get the feeling that you don't know all there is to know about this, Rum, and I really don't want any further surprises. How do you even know if it worked?"

Rumple gently took Belle's hand.

"Belle." He looked her straight in the eyes, "It worked. I will be fine. Please relax."

"Alright." Belle took a deep breath. "Just, tell me what you need or want. I'll make sure that you get it."


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

It didn't take Rumple long to recover from what had happened. He seemed fine within a day. In fact, it seemed like nothing had changed besides his physical appearance. For the next several weeks, Belle wondered if her husband had been right, if the elixir had worked. Rumple didn't seem to be showing any signs of pregnancy at all.

That was until about a month later.

Rumple had woken up extremely early and had run from the bedroom, making it to the bathroom just in time. Once there, he began to vomit.

Belle quickly made her way over to the bathroom as well, where she kneeled down beside her husband. He was shaking and sweating as he threw up. She pulled his hair back so he wouldn't get any sick in it and stayed with him until he seemed to be finished.

"Oh, gods," he sighed, leaning back against the bathtub.

He looked paler than Belle had ever seen him, and it worried her, but she tried not to show it. Instead she flushed the toilet and got Rumple a glass of water.

"Here you go," she said, softly, as she handed it over.

Rumple's hands were still shaking and it quickly became apparent that he could not hold the glass on his own, so Belle helped bring it to his lips.

"There you go, take small sips," she instructed.

Rumple did as he was told, pushing the glass away after getting only half of it down.

Belle took the glass and sat down next to him.

"I feel like I've been hit by a train," he rasped out, after several minutes. As he spoke he rested a hand on top of his stomach. Belle wondered if he was going to be sick again, but thankfully he made no move to get to the toilet.

"I'm sure," Belle murmured.

There was a silence as Rumple did his best to compose himself. It was to no avail, though. He knew that he wouldn't be able to run the shop that day. He felt far too weak.

"Belle," he whispered, glancing up at her.

"Yes, Rumple?"

"You need to open the shop this morning. Take care of everything."

"I'm not leaving you here by yourself! What if you need help or get sick again?"

Rumple sighed loudly.

"I do not want anyone questioning why the shop was closed. It's already enough that they've commented on my appearance. They think something is off and if I close the shop they'll really think that I'm up to something."

Belle's shoulders slumped. She felt like she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Neither she nor Rumple had told anyone about the pregnancy. Not yet. When the townsfolk saw Rumple's changed appearance, they had explained that it was a youth-regeneration spell. Of course, several of them had asked for the same magic to be used on them, but Rumple had repeatedly refused, which had left several people annoyed.

Belle was mulling over the idea of arguing with Rumple when an idea popped into her head.

"Someone should be here with you, even if it isn't me."

"Who? We haven't told anyone about - oh." Rumple suddenly glared at her. "What is it that you're not telling me?"

"I… You're going to be angry," Belle started. "But please know, the whole thing was an accident. I never meant for anyone to find out, it just happened that way."

"Get on with it, Belle. Who knows?"

"Emma."

Belle truly felt nervous. She could only imagine how upset Rumple was.

"How did this happen?" Rumple finally asked. Clearly, he was trying to contain his anger.

"When you were sleeping, right after you took the potion, I went outside to clear my head. I'd been there with you for twelve hours and I felt so stressed… Emma was nearby, investigating, and she saw me and came to say hello, and then…"

"And then what?" Rumple snapped.

"And then you screamed and she heard you and she asked to see you and said that as sheriff she had a right to ensure that you were safe. I had to explain it all, then."

"Ugh," Rumple let out a groan. "Of all people, Sheriff Swan."

"She'll probably come stay with you! Then I can open the shop and you'll have help if you need it!"

"Absolutely not!"

Belle didn't reply verbally. Rather, she pouted.

"Don't do that!" Rumple said, "Belllllle. Come on."

"I just want to make sure that you're safe. That you and our child are safe."

"I can easily defend myself," Rumple answered. "Need I remind you that I am the most powerful sorcerer… well, ever?"

"But you just threw up and you were shaking and you couldn't even drink water on your own!"

"I'll be fine!" Rumple said, angrily.

When he saw the look of hurt on Belle's face, the feelings of rage faded. She had been through just as much, if not more emotional turmoil than him. She probably was afraid of losing him just as she had the baby, even though the fear was illogical.

"...I'm sorry," Rumple said, more softly. "If… If having Emma here makes you feel better, then she may visit. However, I do not want word of this getting out yet!"

"Of course not!" Belle smiled, "I already made her promise not to say anything, and she hasn't."

"Good."

Rumple suddenly paled again, and Belle feared he might be sick a second time. She braced herself for it, but he simply swallowed and sat back further.

After finding that he was, indeed, going to be okay, she left the room.

"I'll call Emma, then."

00

Emma ended up agreeing to come, if only because of the pleading tone of Belle's voice. The woman had seemed so worried.

Emma asked David to cover for her while she spent the day 'helping a friend', and thankfully, he didn't ask many questions.

The blonde made it to the house only a few minutes after Belle had left to open the shop.

Emma quickly walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Hello?" She called out.

No response. Emma sighed.

"Gold? You in there?"

Nothing.

"If you're in there, here's fair warning - I'm coming in."

Just as she reached to turn the doorknob, the door flung open. Rumple was standing there, dressed in a bathrobe, a t-shirt and a set of pajama pants. His hair was spread in all directions and he looked outright sick.

It was a strange sight to Emma, who was used to seeing him with combed hair and dressed in well tailored suits.

"I was sick again," Rumple said, in explanation.

"It's okay," Emma replied. "I thought that maybe something bad had happened."

"Nothing too unusual." Rumple held open the door. "Please come in."

Emma nodded and walked in, feeling a twinge of pity for the man standing near her. She recalled all too well those days where she felt sick constantly. She had been so tired and had thrown up for hours.

Rumple shut the door behind her as she entered and Emma took the opportunity to look him over again. Yeah, this was definitely going to be a rough day.

"Listen, why don't you go sit down on the couch, or lie down in bed. I'll make you some tea."

Rumple wanted to argue, but felt too weak to do so. He simply nodded in agreement and slowly trudged off towards the couch. Emma, meanwhile, made her way to the kitchen.

"Where's your tea?" She called out.

"First cabinet on the left, next to the stove."

Emma opened said cabinet and found a box containing a large array of teas. Well, the man was originally British, after all, she thought to herself.

Thankfully, he had several bags of peppermint tea. When Emma had been in prison, a sympathetic guard had given her peppermint tea on her worst days and it had helped calm her stomach. Maybe it would do the same for Gold.

It wasn't long before she found a tea kettle. She filled it with water and set it on the stove, throwing in two tea bags to seep as the water boiled. Then she turned her attention to the refrigerator.

In the living room, she could hear the television turn on. She couldn't make out exactly what was playing, but it sounded like some type of educational show.

Emma fished around the fridge, eventually finding a loaf of bread. That would be perfect. With some peppermint tea and a bit of toast, Gold might feel a lot better.

00

Fifteen minutes later, Emma emerged from the kitchen with a tray containing tea and two pieces of toast lightly covered in butter and jelly.

Rumple saw this and cringed.

"I really do not think that eating something I can handle right now, Ms. Swan," he told her. Just looking at the food made him feel sick.

Emma set the tray down.

"I completely understand how you feel," she told him. "I remember it all too well. I think the tea might help you though. It helped me when I was having bad morning sickness."

Rumple looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"Just give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen? You puke it back up?"

Rumple's shoulders slumped. Emma was right.

"Fine," he told her, holding his hand out for the mug of tea.

Emma passed it over to him. She watched as he sniffed it.

"Peppermint?"

"Yup. Trust me, it's good."

Rumple frowned, but took a small sip.

It really wasn't that bad. He slowly took another.

After finishing a quarter of the cup, he found that he felt somewhat better.

"Well… come on," he said, patting the space next to him. "Sit down."

"Okay." Emma sat next to him and looked at the television. Cosmos with Neil deGrasse Tyson was on.

"Didn't take you for much of a science guy," Emma remarked.

"I find the universe to be very interesting," Rumple said. "But we can change the channel if you like. Perhaps you'd prefer to watch some Jerry Springer?"

Emma rolled her eyes.

"I happen to like science as well. I just didn't expect you to be into this stuff too."

"We have one thing in common, then." Rumple took another sip of his tea.

The two watched the program for half an hour before Rumple finished the mug. He felt much better now than he had before and was almost tempted to try the toast that Emma had made. Before he could ask, his stomach growled.

"Hungry?" Emma smirked.

Rumple glared at her.

"Here." She passed the plate of toast over to him. "Take small bites. If you eat too fast you'll get sick again."

Rumple did as he was told at first, but soon enough he began to ignore Emma's warning. He was hungry, dammit. Really hungry. He'd vomited up everything he'd eaten in the last twenty four hours. He was halfway through the second piece of toast when he realized the error of his ways. He was going to be sick, and it was going to happen very soon.

He dropped the plate and was about to get up and make a run for the bathroom when a small garbage pail, lined with a plastic bag, was placed in front of him. Just in time, too. Rumple began to vomit again. He felt so ill that he barely registered that Emma was sitting near him, rubbing his back. It wasn't done in the same loving way that Belle had used, but she was definitely trying to comfort him.

"Oh, god," he rasped out, when he was finally done. Both his stomach and throat felt sore.

Emma stared at him for a moment before deciding that he was unlikely to be sick again. She pushed the waste basket away.

"Told you not to eat too fast," she said, though her tone was not biting.

Rumple groaned in response.

Emma stood up.

"You ought to lie down. I'll get you some pillows."

Rumple didn't argue. He felt terrible. Tired and nauseous. Lying down sounded good right then.

It wasn't long before Emma returned with two pillows and a blanket, all apparently taken from the bedroom.

"Here," she put the pillows down and watched as Rumple laid back on them. Then she tucked the blanket around him.

"Just rest. I'll be right here if you need anything."

"Thank you," Rumple whispered. He closed his eyes and therefore didn't see Emma sit down on the loveseat on the other side of the room.

00

Belle returned home later in the afternoon to find both Rumple and Emma sitting next to each other, watching some type of crime drama on the television. A blanket was wrapped around Rumple's shoulders, and he was holding what looked like a cup of tea. He wasn't nearly as pale as he was that morning.

"Hello!" Belle greeted them.

"Hey," Emma replied, muting the television.

"Belle," Rumple said, half smiling. "You're home."

"That I am. And I bought you some ginger chews to help with your morning sickness."

"It's not just in the morning. I think they got that part wrong," Rumple responded.

Belle pouted sympathetically.

"I'm sorry that you were sick all day." She turned to Emma, "Thank you so much for looking after him. It means a lot to me."

Emma nodded.

"You're welcome, but, uh, can we talk for a second? Privately?"

"Al...right," Belle agreed, confused as to what Emma might want. She followed the woman into the kitchen.

"Was everything okay?"

"I don't think you should leave him alone. Not that I'm a fan of your husband - no offense - but he was pretty sick today. He looks okay now only because he slept after throwing up. I couldn't get him to hold anything down besides a little tea. Either you'll need to find someone who can stay here, or you need to get him to see Dr. Whale."

"He won't go for that," Belle replied. "He's so stubborn. I knew something like this would happen. I should've stopped him."

"Well, it does kinda go against the laws of nature, so I won't argue there, but whats done is done."

Belle sighed.

"Do you remember if it lasted the whole pregnancy? When you were carrying Henry, I mean."

"It lasted for the first trimester. After that it kinda eased off. But everyone is different, and since he's a man, it might be hitting him harder. "

"Maybe."

"Hey, if you want, I'll poke around and see if there's anyone qualified to help out here. Actually…" Emma's eyes lit up, "I think I know someone who could be of real help."

"And who would that be?"

Emma smiled and began to explain.

00

"NO." Rumple crossed his arms over his chest, "No way."

"But you need someone here for the days that you're sick and Mary Margaret just had a baby. She'll know what you're experiencing and can help to take care of you. And she can bring little Neal! You can get used to caring for an infant again!"

"No."

"But Rumple, I can't leave you alone! The thought of it makes me extremely uncomfortable. If you won't let Mary Margaret stay then I'll find someone else, or I'll stay myself. We can close the store for a while. It's not like you truly need the extra money from it."

Rumple scowled at her.

"It's only temporary anyway," Belle continued. "Emma said that her sickness ended after the first trimester! That means you've only got two months to go! Of course, there is always the option of visiting with Dr. Whale. That would alleviate my fears as well."

If looks could kill, Belle would have been dead.

"You're not going to give this up, are you?" Rumple asked, angrily.

"No, I'm not."

"Well I'm not either."

"Ugh," Belle pinched the bridge of her nose. This was going nowhere fast. "Can we compromise? Make a deal?"

That caught Rumple's interest.

"Go on…"

"You let Mary Margaret stay for the week. If it's truly driving you nuts, then you visit with Dr. Whale. If he assures me that you're fine, and that the baby is fine, I'll let you stay by yourself and won't bother you again."

"A week." That actually sounded pretty reasonable.

"Yes, a week. Is that fair?"

"...It seems fair to me."

"Good. Then I'll call Mary tonight and ask her if she's available tomorrow."

"Fine."

Belle smiled and leaned in, giving Rumple a kiss on the forehead.

"Everything will be fine," she said, as she pulled back. "I promise."

"I know Belle," Rumple replied. "I know."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I had originally posted this chapter but took it down, as someone here noted that I made Neal seem like a 2 month old baby vs. a kid who is a year old. I don't have kids and this did not cross my mind, so I've done my best to edit the next chapters accordingly.

However, if you have kids, and you think I screwed up, please let me know. I don't have much experience with kids so any information is helpful. Please also keep that in mind when reading this - that I'm doing the best I can.

The person also mentioned that Neal might let his older sister Emma hold/play with him. I am not sure. I know my niece did not let anyone but her mother hold her when she was 1 so I think it's possible that Neal might not like others playing with him or being near him.

Ch. 6

Mary Margaret agreed to come over. While she had her hands full with baby Neal, she knew all too well how stressful pregnancy could be, and some small part of her pitied Rumple enough to agree to help.

So she arrived the following morning, Neal in her arms. She brought some biscuits that she'd enjoyed while pregnant and some books as well.

Rumple answered the door wearing an old t-shirt and pajama pants - the same outfit he'd worn the day prior. Mary had to do her best not to seem to shocked at the sight.

"Good morning Mr. Gold," she greeted him.

Rumple glared at her as he held the door open. He'd agreed to let Mary Margaret stay for a week. That didn't mean that he had to be nice to her.

Mary Margaret frowned, noticing that he had bags under his eyes and stubble on his face. Usually he was clean shaven. All in all he didn't look too good.

Rumple let her inside, closing the door behind her. He then sat down on the couch, his new favorite place.

Thankfully, Neal was calm. Rumple wasn't sure that he could handle a crying child on top of the nausea and headache he was feeling right then.

Mary put the baby down and kneeled on the floor next to Rumple. She looked him straight in the face.

"You don't look so good," she said, softly. "Did you sleep much?"

"I really do not want to discuss this, Ms. Blanchard."

Mary, however, was not deterred.

"Nightmares?"

Rumple stared at her for a few seconds. How could she possibly know that?! Even Belle hadn't realized it. He'd been having them since taking the elixir, and it seemed like every evening they got worse.

"Yes, actually," he finally answered. "But I still don't want to talk about it."

"I had them too."

"I see."

There was a short, awkward silence before Mary spoke again.

"I'm going to fix you something small to eat. Were you sick this morning?"

"...Yes."

"It sucks, I know. It usually gets better over time though."

"I hope so."

Mary nodded and stood up.

"Just give me a few minutes."

Rumple nodded and watched as she disappeared into the kitchen.

00

Ten minutes later Mary came back out with a plate containing biscuits and a cup of ginger tea.

"Tea and bread again?" Rumple complained. "Miss Swan gave me the same thing yesterday and I was sick for most of the afternoon!"

"That's because you ate too fast," Mary said, smirking at him.

"And how would you know that?"

"Emma told Belle and Belle told me."

Rumple narrowed his gaze, giving Mary an intense look, but accepted the plate and cup. He noticed that Mary also had her own cup of tea, and for some reason, that made him feel slightly better.

Mary took a sip of hers. Rumple did the same.

"When I was pregnant with Emma, I used to have horrible dreams. There were the dreams in the burning room, left from the sleeping curse. Then there were others. Terrible visions. Charming would die, for instance. He would die slowly and there was nothing I could do to help him. Or I would give birth to Emma, and she would be dead because of the Queen's curse. They frightened me. I could barely sleep."

Rumple couldn't help but frown.

"I'm sorry that you had such bad nightmares."

Mary said nothing, but she took hold of his hand, squeezing it gently. The action spoke more than words possibly could and for a split second, Rumple began to feel bad about treating the woman so poorly. But he quickly pushed that thought away. He had an image to uphold and all.

"How about you drink some of the tea, and eat one of the biscuits. They're pretty small. After that you can lie down. I'll turn down the lights and get you an ice pack. It'll help your head."

Rumple was stunned, yet again. How did this woman know his head hurt?!

"How…"

"You keep squinting your eyes and your cheeks are flushed. Same thing happens to David when he gets headaches."

Rumple didn't know what to say to that, so he took another sip of his tea. It was pretty good. Better than the peppermint tea he'd had yesterday. The biscuits were not so bad either. He was sure not to make the same mistake as he had previously, opting to eat slowly this time.

After finishing most of the tea and an entire biscuit, he turned to Mary Margaret. She smiled at him.

"Let me take that," she held out her hand for the plate and mug. "I'll be right back with that ice pack I promised."

"Thank you," Rumple called out.

"You're welcome," came Mary's reply.

00

The ice felt good against Rumple's forehead.

Currently, he was lying back against several pillows, ice on his head, the lights turned off, with a warm blanket tucked over him.

Mary Margaret had certainly done a good job of making him comfortable, much as he loathed to admit it.

Right then, she wasn't in the room. Rather, she was elsewhere, singing softly to calm Neal, who'd begun to cry.

She must have thought that Rumple was asleep, otherwise she wouldn't have been singing as she was.

Her voice was pleasant. She was singing an old song, 'Fly Me To The Moon'. It was oddly soothing. Rumple enjoyed her soft, feminine version of it over Sinatra's version, and from the sound of it - or lack of sound - Neal must have enjoyed it too. The baby had stopped crying almost immediately after she had begun singing.

The music didn't just help Neal. It was soothing enough to allow Rumple to fall into a nice, dreamless sleep.

00

Belle returned home later in the day to find Mary Margaret in the kitchen, fixing a meal, and Rumple asleep on the couch. He was snoring loudly and Belle had to hold back giggling at the sound. He only snored like that when he was sleeping off some type of trauma.

She was glad to see him resting, though. He seemed to wake up constantly during the evenings and Belle was sure that he wasn't sleeping enough. She tip toed through the living room and into the kitchen.

"Belle!" Mary said, smiling at her. "Welcome home. I'm just finishing up making a light dinner."

"Oh… you didn't have to do that, you know," Belle replied.

Mary shrugged.

"I wanted to. I feel bad for you guys. It's got to be tough, especially for him," she motioned towards the living room.

"Was he…" Belle tried to choose her words carefully, "Was he nice, today?"

"No. He was pretty grumpy. On the bright side, he managed to keep down a few biscuits and a cup of tea."

"That's good. Better than yesterday."

The sound of their voices must have woken Rumple up, because he soon appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Speak of the devil," Mary said, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

Seeing that Belle was there, Rumple knew that he ought to be nice to Mary.

"Alright. Better than earlier. How long was I asleep?"

"About five hours."

"You should've woken me up!"

Rumple wasn't sure why he said that. It wasn't like he had much to do. He just felt slightly bothered that he'd slept for most of the time that Mary was in his house.

"You looked very peaceful and you need your sleep," Mary replied, gently.

"Yes, well, Belle is home now, so you can get going."

"Rumple! You're being very rude to Mary! After all she's done for you today. She even made us dinner!"

Rumple glanced over at the platter that Mary was holding. It looked like some type of chicken dish.

"Thank you," he forced out.

"You're welcome. I should get going. David will be home soon."

Belle and Mary hugged and Mary quickly made her way out. Just as she was leaving, she turned.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Gold."

"Yes," Rumple answered. "See you then."


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

The next day, Mary showed up carrying Neal yet again. This time, the kid was wide awake, though he wasn't crying.

Rumple answered the door wearing the same clothes that he'd on the day prior. He gave Mary an angry look but let her in.

"Good morning, Mr. Gold," she said sweetly.

Rumple stared at her, mentally willing her to leave already.

"Something wrong?" Mary asked.

"I didn't get any sleep at all last night. You should've woken me up sooner yesterday! Now you've thrown off my whole schedule and nothing is going to get done on time and everything is… is messed up. All because of you!"

Rumple fully expected Mary to either apologize or leave. He didn't expect her to get quite so angry.

"Excuse me?" She put Neal down and took a step forward, looking down at the man.

"You may think you're hot shit because you've got magic, but let me tell you, you're the one in the wrong here! You're damn lucky that you've got Belle because no one else would ever put up with your crap! I've only been here two days and I want to strangle you!"

Rumple was looking at her, stunned.

Mary took a deep breath and backed off a few feet.

"Now, you listen to me. I am here to help you. Your wife, Belle, wants me to help you. You can either act like a jerk the entire time and embarrass yourself, or you can do your best to be decent. Either way, I'm going to tell Belle everything that goes on. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Rumple replied, still shocked at Mary's outburst.

"Good. Let's start over. Good morning, Mr. Gold."

"Good morning," he murmured.

Mary closed the door behind her.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Sick," came Rumple's honest reply.

"Okay. Go sit down. We're going to do things a bit different today and we'll see how that works out."

00

Mary's first order of business had been to make Rumple take a shower.

The man reeked of BO. From what she could tell, he hadn't changed his clothes or bathed in at least three days.

Rumple grudgingly agreed to bathe. He knew that Mary Margaret was right, he did smell. He wondered why Belle hadn't mentioned it. He reckoned that she was probably trying to spare his feelings.

Mary went so far as to turn the water on for him and lay out a soft, fluffy towel. Then she left the bathroom.

"Call me if you need anything," she told him.

Rumple had nodded in agreement and gotten in.

00

The shower actually put him in a slightly better mood.

The water was perfectly warm and he could feel the days of sweat and grime fall off of his body as the water hit him.

Sighing, he worked on shampooing his hair and soaping himself up. He glanced down while he did this.

His body still looked the same as it had a month prior. His stomach was still flat. Not much appeared to have changed. He wondered how he would look in another month, then in a month after that. One of the benefits of the elixir had been that he'd physically gotten younger. Weight loss had accompanied that, and Rumple was reluctant to give that up. Not that he really had a choice, it was just nice to be able to fit into his old clothes again.

Frowning, he pushed past that thought and continue to shower. When he was finished, he decided that shave was in order, too. He was getting too scruffy for his liking.

He finally emerged from the bathroom in a soft robe. He made his way to the bedroom, where he put on yet another t-shirt and a pair of pajamas before making his way back out.

"You look much better," Mary Margaret said, setting down a tray on the coffee table.

"I feel much better," Rumple responded, under his breath. His mood had definitely improved.

"Good. Now, I've made you some breakfast. Something small - just some oatmeal and fruit and some more of the ginger tea."

"Thank you." Rumple carefully picked up the bowl of oatmeal. Just smelling it made his stomach growl, yet a second later, he felt sick.

Quickly, he put the bowl back down and made a run for the bathroom. This time he wasn't as lucky with making it on time. He ended up vomiting on the floor and all over his outfit. He used the last of his strength to grab on to a trash can so at least some of it was elsewhere.

In the other room, he could hear baby Neal crying and Mary Margaret trying to quiet him. It made the whole experience worse somehow. In some weird way he wished that Belle was there, instead of Mary, if only so that she would rub his back and hold back his hair.

00

Another shower and change of clothes later, and Rumple was lying on the couch, watching television. He'd given up on trying to eat anything and thankfully, Mary Margaret hadn't pushed him. Instead, she sat on the floor, playing with Neal. She'd brought some toys for him to play with - some large blocks and a few toy cars.

Occasionally, Rumple would look over and watch them. The scene both made him feel happy, as he would soon have the joy of playing with his child, and sad, because it reminded him of his time with Bae, before everything had gone wrong.

All in all, Neal was a good child. He didn't cry that much and when he did, his mother was quickly able to quiet him down. He also had a very bright, happy smile. Rumple wondered if his child would be similar, or if he or she would keep him up all night.

Bae had been good. Granted, Milah had been the one to do most of the work early on, before he returned from the war, but he couldn't recall a time where Bae didn't quiet down fairly quickly.

God, how he missed Bae. The recent events had pushed the thought of his son out of his mind but now the feeling of agony at the memory of losing him returned.

After a few minutes, Mary Margaret caught him looking at them.

"Rumple," she called out. "Would you like to play with Neal?"

Rumple sort of wished that the kid's name hadn't been Neal. While it was a nice gesture, it made seeing the baby slightly more painful.

Still, the kid was cute.

"Sure," he replied, forcing himself up. He sat down on the floor next to Mary and she handed him one of the cars.

"There you go."

Rumple looked down at the child and began to push the toy car towards him. Neal responded by laughing and pushing the car back at Rumple.

The baby smiled at him and Rumple smiled back.

"Look at you," he mumbled, giving the car back again.

"I think he likes you. Usually when someone else besides me or David plays with him, he cries."

Rumple glanced at Mary Margaret then turned his attention back to Neal.

"Perhaps he does."

It wasn't long before the baby began to fuss and Mary took over again, but the experience definitely made his morning better.

00

By noon, Rumple felt well enough to attempt eating again.

This time Mary put together some sandwiches. Nothing too extravagant. She doubted that his system could handle anything complex right then.

Neal was asleep, so Rumple decided to watch some more television. Those soap operas that were on every day seemed to be somewhat addicting.

Mary, meanwhile, sat on the other couch, watching along with him.

"Never figured you for a fan of The Young and the Restless," she commented.

"There's not much else on. All of the PBS shows are geared at children during this time of day."

"Ah. I understand."

Mary watched as Rumple slowly ate his food while staring at the television.

"You know, you could get a dvd player or Netflix or something."

"Netflix?"

"Yeah, you know, it streams movies and tv shows…"

Rumple still looked confused.

"It's just something that's popular now. If you have a laptop I can show you how it works."

"It's in the back study."

Mary smiled and stood up to get it. When she returned, she sat down next to him on the couch and opened it up.

"Log in. I'll close my eyes."

"The password is 'password'. You can log in."

Mary raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"I'm sorry?" Rumple asked, yet again confused.

"It's just… that's a really bad password. Anyone could guess it."

Rumple snorted.

"They would not find much if they did. I only got it because Ms. Swan said that it might help me locate Bae."

A look of sadness flitted across Rumple's face at the mention of his son, and Mary suddenly felt bad.

"I see. Well, it can be used for many things. For instance, watching shows." Mary pulled up the Netflix website. "I'll log into my account."

Mary logged in and handed the laptop over to Rumple.

"Type in whatever you want to watch. The site will tell you whether or not you can."

Rumple hesitated for a moment, thinking of what might interest him. Finally, he settled on Doctor Who.

"Really?" Mary asked, somewhat surprised. "I didn't take you for a fan of The Doctor either."

"Some of Belle's friends have mentioned it and she seemed intrigued. Perhaps, if it is decent, her and I can watch it together."

Mary Margaret smiled.

"That's sweet. Okay, it's available to stream. Click on it."

Rumple did as he was told and the first episode suddenly popped up. Mary put it into full screen mode and the two sat back to watch.

00

Belle came home that afternoon to see both Mary and Rumple asleep on the couch, laptop still on Rumple's lap. Neal was resting comfortably in his mother's lap, playing with a block.

Belle raised an eyebrow and gently pulled the laptop away. The battery was almost dead, but she could see that the two had been watching that Doctor Who show that Taryn and Brian had been mentioning.

Belle's action woke Rumple. The cracked his eyes open, then rubbed them.

"Good afternoon, sleepy head," she teased.

Rumple stretched, then poked Mary Margaret.

"Hey!", she hissed.

"Wake up. Belle's home."

Mary opened her eyes and glared at him.

"Could've been a little nicer…"

"Could've, would've, should've. Belle's home so you can leave now."

Ah. Gold was back to his old snippy ways, Mary thought to herself.

She then noticed that Belle was giving him a nasty look. It seemed to make Gold shrink back a little.

"I'm so sorry for my husband's attitude," Belle said, eyes still focused on Rumple, "He's been tired lately and that, plus the hormones and all, are making him more testy than usual."

"Yeah. I'm sure that's it," Mary replied, trying not to smirk. "Hormones and all. It's alright. I should get home anyway."

"Thank you again." Belle walked her to the door, "I really, really appreciate it."

Mary knew that Belle was being sincere.

"It's no problem, Belle. I'll be back tomorrow, bright and early."


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

Mary Margaret suspected that Gold was starting to feel more comfortable around her, despite his occasional harshness.

This was proven more quickly than she ever thought it would be.

The following morning she arrived, expecting to be yelled at or snarled at or to have some insult hurled her way. Instead, she was greeted by the sight of Mr. Gold, who looked incredibly sad.

"Ms. Blanchard," he acknowledged her, holding the door open.

Today, Neal was with David and Mary felt grateful for that. Something was going on. Maybe it was better that the baby wasn't there.

Mary walked in and watched as Mr. Gold slowly shut the door behind her.

"I, um," Mary started, but she wasn't sure what to say. Ultimately she decided to just speak her mind.

"What's wrong, Mr. Gold?"

Rumple shook his head and his gaze dropped to the floor. His body language made Mary nervous. She'd never seen him act like this before.

Not knowing what else to do, she took his hand and led him into the kitchen. Then she pulled out a chair for him to sit on.

"Let's have some tea and talk," she suggested.

Rumple just shrugged.

The room was quiet as Mary prepared the tea - chamomile, this time. When it was finished she handed him a large mug and took one for herself.

There was more silence. Rumple didn't make any move to drink his tea, or to do anything really.

"I think it would help if you told me what's upsetting you, Mr. Gold," Mary said. "I mean, whatever it is, we can help you. Me or Belle, or Emma, or all three of us if we had to. And if discretion is your concern, I can guarantee that no one besides myself, Belle, David and Emma know about your condition and we have no intention of sharing that information."

Rumple sighed.

"It's not that."

"Then are you sick? Or…" Mary's eyes widened, "You didn't… you didn't lose the baby, did you?"

Rumple looked at her, surprised by her conclusions.

"I was sick this morning, yes, but I did not lose the baby. If you must know, I had a particularly bad night."

"Ohh. You weren't able to sleep again?"

"I was able to sleep. That's the problem."

"I'm confused. Yesterday you were upset because you couldn't sleep."

"The nightmares, Ms. Blanchard," Rumple nearly growled. Then his expression softened. "They're terrible. I'm sure that you understand."

"I do. What were they of?"

Rumple tried to take a sip of tea but his hands were shaking too much for him to hold the cup. Mary quickly moved to help him. Whatever he had been dreaming of, it must have been really bad to have disturbed him so much.

"Thank you," Rumple whispered, after Mary helped him take a sip.

She put the mug down.

"It's no problem."

Rumple nodded.

"The dreams...There's a few of them, really. A few that I have more than others. I dream that the baby dies, or that Belle runs away. But last night, I dreamed that the baby was born, but it came out dead. And it was deformed - hideous. And Belle..." He closed his eyes, and tears fell down his cheeks. "...Belle saw it and she screamed. She screamed that the baby was a monster, that I'd created a monster, and then… then she left."

"Oh, Mr. Gold." Mary wanted to hug him, but wasn't sure if that might be crossing the line. The man seemed to value his personal space highly. Instead she settled for squeezing his hand tightly.

"I'm so sorry. That sounds like a terrible dream."

"That wasn't the end of it. I managed, somehow, to fall back asleep, and I dreamed that she left me. As I mentioned, I've dreamed that before. That she's gone off. But this time she left me for another man instead of just leaving, and I was forced to raise the baby myself, just as I had to with Bae."

"Belle loves you," Mary tried to reassure him. "She would never leave you."

"I want to believe that, I really do." Rumple sniffled.

Mary reached into her purse and handed him a tissue. After drying his eyes and blowing his nose, he continued.

"She can do better than me."

"She loves you," Mary reiterated, "She loves you more than anything. Do you think she'd be having me and Emma come here if she didn't care about you? She wants someone with you in case you need help. Plus, you're having a child together! She'll surely want him or her to have both of it's parents in it's life."

Rumple wanted to cry again, but held it back.

"I thought that Milah loved me and Bae, and she didn't."

"Milah was your wife?"

"Many years ago. But she left us. She took off with Hook."

"Belle is not the same as Milah. Belle has stood by you always. You know that."

Rumple simply nodded. He wanted to believe it. All of the evidence seemed to point to Mary's conclusion, but he still had his doubts.

Mary rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Gold...It will be okay. You knew what you were doing with the spell, and I'm sure the baby will be fine. And you can even ask Dr. Whale to do an ultrasound to prove it, if you want. And I would bet everything I own that Belle wouldn't leave you."

The confidence in Mary's voice helped calm Rumple a bit and it wasn't long before he stopped crying.

And then, he switched back to his old self.

"Thank you for listening," he told Mary, "But I must warn you, if it ever gets out that I cried -"

Mary cut him off. "My lips are sealed, Mr. Gold. You've got nothing to worry about."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This story is cross posted to AO3, so I'm catching up here with the chapters already posted there. I'm giving Belle and Rum a wee bit of drama here. Taryn, Brian and Jacob are OC's that I made just because I needed them.

Ch. 9

Four more weeks went by, and Rumple entered his third month of pregnancy.

Mary had ended up continuing to visit, but she did so less frequently. It seemed that as time went on, Rumple got sick less and less often, and so he was able to work again. Mary remained on call for the days that happened to be bad.

It was around this time that Rumple noticed that he was beginning to show.

It was a very, very slight difference. One wouldn't notice it unless they were looking for it. He had noticed it, though. His once flat stomach was now slightly curved.

He'd debated for a few days about whether to mention it to Belle. It seemed kind of odd, to show her something like that. Ultimately, she noticed it on her own, one evening when they were lying in bed together.

Lately Rumple had felt very hot at night, so he had been sleeping with his shirt off. Belle was curled up near him, head resting on his shoulder, when she spoke up.

"Oh, look!" she said, happily.

"Hmm?"

Belle traced her finger down the outline of his small belly.

"You're showing now! Not a lot, but… that's our baby in there!" She seemed truly excited.

"Yes, it is," Rumple replied. He began to blush, suddenly feeling self conscious.

Thankfully, that thought was wiped away by Belle.

"I find you very attractive like this, you know," she whispered.

"Oh yes? But I don't look much different than I did a week ago."

"But we can see the baby now. See you showing. Knowing that our child is inside of you...It's just… attractive is all. As I said."

"Mmm, well I find you to be quite attractive yourself," Rumple winked at her.

Belle grinned, and moved to climb on top of her husband, intent on pleasuring them both.

00

Rumple woke up happy the next morning. He and Belle had made love the previous evening and it had been wonderful, the best sex they'd had since they'd first gotten married. It was passionate and loving and perfect.

He felt well enough that morning to open the shop himself, and he had been intent on doing that when Belle stopped him.

"My love, you'll have to open late today," she said, as she placed a plate of toast in front of him.

"And why is that?"

"Because you've got an appointment at the hospital."

"I have no such appointment," Rumple protested. Then he looked at Belle, "You did this, didn't you?!"

She didn't seem the least bit frightened by his angry tone.

"I did," Belle answered.

"I specifically told you that I'd tell Dr. Whale at a later time!"

"And you are three months and one week pregnant. We need to see if the baby is healthy, " Belle countered.

Rumple could feel rage building within him. How dare Belle do such a thing behind his back?!

He took a deep breath, willing himself to remain calm. Then he stood up.

"I am going to go to the shop," he told her. "And I am going to open it. And I am not going to the hospital."

"So you'd rather put the baby's health at stake, then? Because of your ego? Who cares if the child is crippled or deformed! Just as long as no one finds out about it until you're ready!" Belle said, sarcastically.

That was it. The straw that broke him.

Within seconds, Rumple's magic had shattered every shard of glass within the kitchen, including the windows.

Belle braced herself as she heard it, then looked at Rumple, horrified.

The look on Belle's face was enough to tell Rumple that he'd gone too far. He wanted to apologize,to tell her that he was sorry, that it was the hormones making him crazy, but before he could, she ran out, slamming the front door behind her.

00

Belle didn't come home that night.

While Rumple sat at home, worrying and wondering where she was, Belle was out with her friends. Taryn and Brian, who had been friends of hers prior to her agreement to live with Rumplestiltskin, had taken her out along with another friend, Jacob. The four had ended up going to The Rabbit Hole. Belle hadn't been there since her stint as Lacey, but she didn't mind going back.

The group played pool and drank some shots. It was a nice release for Belle. The past weeks had been stressful for her. In fact, they were the most stressful weeks that she'd ever had.

Yes, Rumple was doing something extremely beneficial for them. He was giving her a gift that no one else ever could. His attitude, though… that left something to be desired.

Belle wondered if he realized how rude he was, even when Mary Margaret wasn't around, or how he was starting to snap at her more and more often. She had done her best to not let it get to her, but the morning's events were too much. She needed a break.

She smiled at Jacob as he passed her the pool stick.

"Your go," he said, smiling back at her.

Belle took the stick, hitting her mark exactly.

"Good one," Taryn congratulated her. "I think another shot is in order!"

Belle nodded, "I think that you're right."

00

The Rabbit Hole closed its doors at three am. By that point. Belle was well passed buzzed. She contemplated going home, but decided against it. Staying out the entire evening would give Rumple a sign - a sign that he'd better get his act together real fast.

She ended up on the couch at Taryn and Brian's apartment, not waking up until midday.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

Belle awoke to the sound of her cell phone buzzing.

Sighing, she picked it up and squinted. Apparently she had just missed a call. No… She'd actually missed fifteen calls.

"Ugh," she groaned. She wasn't hung over, but the couch hadn't done much for her back.

She flipped through the missed calls list noting that all of them were from Rumple. She was about to call back when another number popped up. This time, someone else was calling.

"Hello?" Belle asked.

"Belle! Are you okay?"

It was Emma.

"Yes… I'm fine," Belle replied.

"Well you'd better talk to your husband, then. I'm at your house right now. He wanted to report you missing."

"Really?" Belle was shocked. She'd only been gone for a single day!

"Yeah…" There was the sound of the phone being shuffled around, before Emma's voice returned. "Sorry. I had to step outside. Listen, you really ought to come home, unless… he didn't do anything to you, did he? There was a lot of broken glass."

"He got angry and shattered all of the glass in the kitchen with his magic," Belle explained. "He didn't hurt me though. I went out just to clear my mind."

"He's freaking out. I've never seen him like this before."

"Yeah, okay. Tell him I'll be right home."

"Alright. Do you need a ride?"

"No," Belle answered. She was only a few blocks away. "I'll walk. Thanks, though."

00

Belle entered the house, expecting to see Rumple in some type of rage-filled state. Instead, she found him sitting on the couch nearly crying.

"Belle…" he said, softly, as he watched her enter.

"Yes," she replied. She was still annoyed at him but the hurt expression on his face made her forget much of it. Frowning, she walked over and sat down next to him.

"Don't cry," she whispered. "Please."

"I won't," he replied, though Belle could see that it was taking a lot of effort for him to hold it back.

"Where were you?"

"I went to the library and went out with friends after work. I needed some time, after that tantrum you had yesterday morning."

"Friends," Rumple repeated. He didn't really have any friends. He wasn't sure why that thought occurred to him right then or why it bothered him so much, but he could think about that later. At least Belle was back.

"I'm sorry for what happened."

Belle nodded, unsure of what to say.

"I know it was extreme. I'm trying, Belle, it's just hard sometimes… I should have planned for this. It's my fault."

Belle rolled her eyes.

"We both should have prepared for it, me especially. You were right that I shouldn't have made the appointment behind your back but I knew you wouldn't do it yourself, and if something were to happen to the baby…" she didn't want to finish that sentence. If something were to happen to the baby, she would be absolutely devastated, simple as that.

"If it helps at all, I went to it."

"You did?"

"Yes. He had one of the technicians do an ultrasound. The baby is fine."

"That's fantastic! And I'm so proud of you!" Belle hugged him. "Thank you, Rumple. Really."

Rumple hugged her back.

"You're welcome, Belle."

"So was he surprised?"

"Not as surprised as I'd imagined he would be. I think he was somewhat disgusted, though. I could tell by his mannerisms. It matters not, there is an obstetrician on staff that I met."

"Oh?"

"They have a pretty large staff. I hadn't realized it. People who were midwives or healers in our homeland work there. You may remember Lucia Kingsley?"

"Yes… she was one of the midwives who helped deliver my niece!"

"She works at the hospital. She was very kind."

"Good, I'm glad."

"I made an appointment for next month."

"That's great, Rumple. Really. I'd be happy to accompany you. Thank you."

The two leaned in and kissed, their dispute seemingly resolved.


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

After what had happened, Emma took it upon herself to talk to Mary Margaret. Rumple apparently still had some serious trust issues and she didn't want Belle getting hurt.

After hearing all that happened, Mary Margaret contacted Belle. She invited her to meet for coffee at Granny's. Belle showed up on her lunch break.

"Sit down," Mary Margaret told her, pulling a seat out. Neal was again left with David, so it was just the two of them.

"Thank you," Belle sat down. "I suppose that I ought to apologize to you. Whatever my husband did to upset you, he doesn't mean it -"

Mary Margaret shook her head, and Belle stopped talking.

"He didn't upset me. And you shouldn't think the worst of him. I know he can be… difficult… to say the least, but lately he's been treating me kindly, and I wanted to talk to you about him. About some of the things he's told me."

"...Oh."

Now Belle felt nervous more than anything. Had Rumple kept some secret from her? Why was Mary Margaret coming forward to speak to her?

"I'll be honest. Emma told me what happened a few days ago with you and Mr. Gold and him reporting you missing, and I felt like it would be wrong of me not to contact you."

"Go on," Belle urged.

"He's terrified of you leaving him. He has nightmares about it. He thinks about what happened with Milah and he's afraid that you'll leave him as well."

"Well the shattering all the glass in the kitchen isn't exactly a good way to keep a woman around."

"I agree. And I think he knows he was wrong. But…" Mary searched for the right words, "You know how a cat or a dog, or any animal really, if it gets beaten, hurt, it won't trust others?"

"Yes."

"And if a person is nice to it, is patient with it, it might come to trust them but in the back of its mind there is still a fear of being hurt, and if it thinks it might get hurt, it growls or cowers?"

"I understand, but what -"

"Mr. Gold - Rumple - is kind of like an animal that's been hurt. His father abandoned him. His wife, Milah, left as well. Before gaining the power of the Dark One, he had no friends, no one to confide in. He had his son but even that relationship soured. And that's not to say that he wasn't at fault with that - he was, but still. He's been hurt a lot. He trusts you because you've been kind and truthful with him, but he's afraid to get hurt again and he gets defensive if he feels like things are changing."

"I'd hardly call me making him an appointment 'things changing'."

"It's a loss of control thing. He's complex. I don't know how to describe it any further. My main point is that he's truly afraid to lose you so you may want to be careful with how you deal with him, especially now. God knows I was a wreck when I was pregnant with Emma, I can't imagine how it feels for a man."  
>Belle sighed.<p>

"You're right. You're also strong to come forward like this. Most people would not defend him. He's… He's not the most liked person. Thank you, for caring enough to do this."

"Like I said, I felt obligated. He called Emma because he was scared. I think he is still scared. He lost you once, because of his actions. He doesn't want it to happen again."

Belle frowned at the thought of her husband being so upset.

"I'd give my life for him."

"I believe you." She placed her hand on top of Belle's and squeezed it, "I really do."

00

Belle never mentioned her conversation with Mary Margaret to Rumple and from what she could gather, Mary never mentioned it to him either.

But from that point on, Belle began a concerted effort to treat Rumple better.

She had always tried hard before. No one could dispute that. She just made it a point to try even harder.

Sometimes she would catch him in the mornings, looking himself over in the mirror, observing himself from the side. She could tell what he was thinking - that he was unattractive, fat, or something to that extent.

During such times she would make her way over and wrap her arms around him, kiss him on the neck and tell him how much she loved him, how gorgeous he was. At first he didn't seem to believe her, but then she would kiss him again, nibble on his ear and reach around to his front.

Sometimes things would go further. She would get him hard and they would fuck before going to work. Sometimes they ended with more simple kisses and 'I-love-you's'.

When Rumple's fourth month checkup came around, Belle took off of work to be there. She held his hand while Lucia did the ultrasound. Belle could tell that he was trying to hide how nervous he was.

It wasn't long before Lucia got a clear image. The picture on the screen caused both Belle and Rumple to nearly cry. It was then that they learned the sex of their child.

A boy.

They were going to have a son.

Belle would've been happy with a child of either gender but Rumple seemed particularly happy. She wondered if he viewed it as a second chance, a chance to do right as a father this time around.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

Things continued to go well for quite a while.

Rather, Belle forced them to go well. Everything in Rumple's home environment was carefully controlled. She doubted that he realized this - the amount of effort she was putting in to keeping him happy.

Yet as time wore on, even her best efforts were sometimes met with discontent.

It mostly started when Rumple hit the five month mark, give or take.

His pregnancy was definitely obvious, now. It seemed like one morning he had woken up and suddenly had a belly. Needless to say,he wasn't pleased. Belle had managed to calm him down by reminding him that he was still gorgeous, that he still had his clothes from before the spell, and that they would likely fit. And they did, but still, it clearly annoyed him.

The comments from the other townsfolk didn't help much. Rumple did his best to cover up with baggier clothing, but there was only so much that could do. Belle had suggested telling the truth, but Rumple shot that down, fearing that someone might try to hurt the baby. Instead he opted to snap back. He'd nearly made Red cry one morning when she gently suggested that maybe he'd prefer a salad over the cheeseburger that he had ordered.

On the bright side, the morning sickness had ceased entirely. On the down side, it had been replaced with random cravings, hot flashes, cramps and more frequent mood swings.

Belle was doing her best to cope with it. She reminded herself daily of how hard the pregnancy was on her husband and how lucky she was that they could even have a child.

When he would moan and groan Belle would brush it off. So what if she'd had a long day working? Rumple was worse off than her. When he would scold her for doing something wrong, she pushed any anger down. He had a right to be upset, didn't he? Men were not meant to bear children and here he was doing it for her - of course he might get upset.

Every day, she repressed her feelings, putting on a smile. It would be over soon. Four more months. One hundred and twenty days. Not that long. Not that long at all.

00

Belle once again had to remind herself of this one Saturday morning.

She had made waffles for breakfast. They hadn't eaten waffles in quite a while and she was craving them.

Just as she was finishing up cooking, Rumple came into the kitchen, wearing his baggiest set of clothes. Belle was used to this. She didn't say anything about it. Rather, she smiled at him and served him his plate of food, then sat down next to him to eat her own.

After taking a few bites, Belle noticed that Rumple wasn't touching his own food.

"What's wrong? It's not poisoned," she joked.

Rumple glared at her.

"How is it that you can run an entire library yet are unable to properly make a waffle?"

Belle raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry?"

"The waffles. They're burned."

Belle looked down at his plate, then her own.

"They look fine to me. A tiny bit dark but they're not burned."

Rumple pushed his plate away and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine," Belle said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. "What would you like to eat, then? Do you want me to make another batch?"

"No, because you'll ruin that too."

"Alright," Belle said, "Fine. That's fine. I'll tell you what, you can go make your own breakfast. I'm going to go read and enjoy mine."

Belle left the kitchen and headed towards the sitting room where she'd left the book that she was currently reading. Seconds later, Rumple appeared in the doorway.

"What is it that you want?" Belle asked.

"I want a proper breakfast!"

"And you can go make that yourself since you're so picky this morning!"

Rumple shook his head, "After all I've done for you, you can't even -"

"Stop." Bell cut him off, "Just stop there. I don't want to hear it. I'm going to go to work now."

She placed her plate on the end table and picked up her book before walking out the front door.

00

The library was particularly quiet that day. Belle used it to do some sorting and filing and then went on to read her book. The entire time, though, all she could think about was how rude Rumple had been that morning.

She'd been trying so hard, and his complaint was realistically stupid, but she felt bothered by it.

It seemed like lately all he did was complain. Whether it was what to watch on Netflix (they'd gotten their own account) or who was getting the last slice of pizza (which Belle always offered to Rumple because he clearly wanted it, though for some reason it made him mad).

It was getting tiring. They hadn't even been intimate in the past month! She's tried once or twice to get Rumple in the mood, but he kept giving excuses like being too tired or too sore. Too sore from what, she wasn't sure, since he didn't do much more than sit around all day. Working at the shop wasn't exactly physically taxing.

Then there were the errands that he had her running. They mainly involved making or buying him food at random hours.

Belle cringed when she thought of that. Rumple's food choices as of late were weird, to say the least. He'd had this weird thing for tacos with chocolate sauce. That was bad, but the ice cream with ranch dressing was even worse. He'd also developed this odd craving for key lime pie, which was fairly hard to come by.

Belle sighed.

This was a gift. Their child was a gift. Rumple was giving her a gift. She should not get angry at Rumple.

She repeated this to herself a few times, doing her best to let those points sink in.

Maybe a night out would help. It had helped last time, and if she let Rumple know in advance where she was going, he probably wouldn't freak out as he had previously. She could get her mind off things and relax for a bit.

Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

00

Later that evening, Rumple stripped down to take a shower. He was still in pain from cramps and hot showers tended to help it.

As he waited for the water to warm, he looked himself over in the mirror. He couldn't say that he liked the sight before him.

When he had been physically older, his weight hadn't really bothered him. He assumed that it had to do with the stress of all that had happened, that maybe he had somehow compensated by eating more. Now that he looked younger, he felt more vain.

He rested his hand on his stomach and he felt the baby kick. He had been doing that a lot, lately. Keeping Rumple up all evening kicking. The kid might grow to be one hell of a fighter if he was as strong as Rumple thought he might be.

Belle had not said anything. Nonetheless, he felt too embarrassed about his appearance to let her see him naked.

'Be logical', he told himself. Belle had loved him when he was older and heavier, she surely loved him as he was now.

Maybe he would try for it later that evening. Give Belle a nice back rub and see where it went. Maybe that would ease the tension between them.

Rumple got into the shower thinking that everything would be fine.

00

That thought was smashed when Rumple, now dressed in his pajamas and t-shirt, made his way downstairs to find that Belle was all dressed up. Really dressed up, actually.

"You look nice," he said, unsure of why she was wearing a short skirt and such a tight shirt at eight o'clock at night.

"Thank you! I'll be heading out soon. I was waiting for you to finish up in the bathroom."

"Oh. I wasn't aware that you had plans for the evening."

"Taryn called! She wants to hang out tonight, just for a few hours." She looked Rumple over, "You can come along, if you want, but you may want to change your clothes."

"And where are you two going?"

"It's not just the two of us. Brian and Jacob are coming along too. We're going to The Rabbit Hole to play a few games of pool."

"I see." Rumple could feel his heart sink. "Well...I wouldn't want to drag you down. I'll stay here."

Some part of him expected Belle to laugh and reassure him that he wouldn't be dragging them down, but that wasn't what happened. Instead, she simply smiled.

"Thank you," she told him, giving him a peck on the lips. "I won't be out too too late."

Rumple nodded and watched as Belle walked towards the front door.

"I'll see you later," she called out.

"Yes… I'll see you later."

00

Rumple was tired, but he couldn't sleep. It was now midnight and Belle had yet to return home.

Since he couldn't sleep he decided to spend some time on the internet, trying to figure out who this Jacob fellow was. He'd heard the name before - Jacob Evans. Apparently he'd been a blacksmith in their homeland. It wasn't long before he was able to find the man's profile on that Facebook website that Belle seemed to enjoy so much.

The man was gorgeous. There was no denying that. Rumple didn't prefer the same sex, but if he had, Jacob would've been the type that he'd be drooling over. Shoulder length thick blonde hair, a muscular body and handsome features. Jacob's profile stated that he was twenty nine - much closer to Belle's age than he was. He a firefighter with the town's fire department and was single, too. Great. He was handsome, single and a hero.

Rumple shut the laptop. He couldn't stand looking at Jacob's face any longer. Belle was probably out with him, now, having a good time. Jacob was probably flirting with her - or worse, maybe he'd already done that and they were having relations. That would explain a lot. Why would Belle be interested in having sex with him when she could get it from someone so much more attractive? Even in his true youth, he'd never been nearly as handsome as Jacob was.

Rumple frowned and checked the clock again. Twelve thirty. He considered using magic to see where Belle was and what she was doing. He'd refreshed that ability after the last time she had gone out. But, he decided against it. It would be wrong to do that, he told himself. He should trust her.

Then one am came around and Rumple gave in.

00

Taryn was leaning heavily on Brian as they walked along the street. Belle and Jacob followed behind, Jacob holding Belle's hand. They'd just left The Rabbit Hole and Belle didn't trust the blonde not to fall over, seeing as how drunk he was.

"That was a good time," Taryn announced, loudly. "So fucking good."

"You're smashed," Jacob called out.

"So are you!"

Belle chuckled. Her friends were funny when they were drunk.

Right then, she heard the clock tower strike. It was one in the morning. She knew she ought to get back home soon. Thankfully, Jacob's apartment wasn't too far off.

"Brian, can you get Taryn home? I'll walk with Jacob."

"Yeah, we're fine," Brian answered.

"Great. See you later!"

"Laterrrrr!" Taryn called out.

Soon enough it was just Belle and Jacob.

"So… you're gonna take me home?" Jacob asked, holding Belle's hand a little tighter.

"Yes, I am."

"That's nice of you. Y'know, you're real pretty. You should come upstairs with me."

Belle smiled.

"You're not so bad yourself, and I'd be happy to help you get up the stairs..."

That was where Rumple turned the vision off. He couldn't take watching what was obviously to come. He felt sick just _thinking_ about it.

Meanwhile, Belle and Jacob continued to talk.

"But?" Jacob asked.

"But that's as far as I'll go. I'm married, you know."

"Aw, come on. He won't know!"

"As handsome as you are, I must remain faithful to my husband."

"But he's disgusting! You can do so much better!"

Belle took a step back and glared at him.

"I love Rumple very much!"

Jacob looked at her for a minute, trying to judge whether or not she was serious. Apparently she was.

"Sorry," he finally said. "If you love him you love him."

"It's fine," Belle replied. She once again took his hand, "Let's just get you home."


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

Belle finally arrived at her own home at two. It had taken a lot of effort to get Jacob up the three flights of stairs that led to his apartment, nevermind getting him inside. He'd ended up passing out on the couch. Belle rolled him onto his side, took off his shoes, then let herself out.

Now, she was tired. All she wanted was to see her beloved and curl up next to him in bed. She briefly wondered if he was sleeping already. Probably was, knowing him. He needed more sleep lately.

Not wanting to disturb him, she quietly let herself in. She was stunned to see Mary Margaret sitting in her living room.

"Mary?" She asked, confused as to why the woman was there. Rumple was sitting next to her, looking very upset.

"You're home," Mary said. Her tone was even, but she had an angry look on her face.

"I am. Care to explain what's going on? Is Rumple alright?"

"I can't believe that you would dare ask that!" Mary's voice got stronger, "After what you've done!"

"I don't understand - I haven't done anything!" Belle was truly confused now. "What do you think I did?"

"You're going to make me repeat it?! Haven't you done enough damage? Mr. Gold may not be the easiest person to live with but he _is_ your husband and you should know not to cheat!"

Belle's jaw dropped.

"What are you talking about?! I've never cheated on him! And you're one to talk, Miss I-stole-a-married-man!"

"That was true love! Totally different!" Mary was now standing an inch away from Belle.

"I did _not_ cheat on him!" Belle reiterated. "Why do you think I have?"

"He saw you, Belle!"

"That's not possible! I didn't touch Jacob!"

"You don't have to lie, Belle," Rumple answered. "I understand. It's… okay."

The pure grief in Rumple's eyes was enough to push Mary Margaret over the edge.

"You should leave."

"Leave my own home?!"

"Technically, it's my home," Rumple said, softly.

"I can't believe you both. You're right, I should leave. Goodbye!"

With that, Belle turned, walked out and slammed the door behind her.

00

Belle made her way back to Jacob's apartment. He would surely let her crash there.

Back at the house, Mary remained by Rumple's side.

The man wasn't crying, but he seemed like he wanted to. Clearly, he was very hurt. He had called her after seeing Belle's conversation with Jacob, and she'd come over only because of the amount of sadness in his voice.

Unsure of what to say, Mary wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. Rumple quickly reciprocated, resting his head on Mary's shoulder as she rubbed his back.

"It's going to be okay," she told him, trying to reassure him as if he were a small child.

"It will never be okay," was his response.

He was right. Mary knew it. If Belle truly had cheated on him, then their relationship would be over. Maybe Rumple's fears of Belle leaving him for another had been well founded. If so, the next few months were going to be very difficult for all involved.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

Belle had to pretty much punch the door to make a sound loud enough to cause Jacob to wake up. He finally pulled himself off the couch.

"Who's it?" He asked, words slurred. He was still drunk.

"It's Belle. I need a place to sleep tonight."

That perked Jacob up. He quickly opened the door to let her in.

"Belle! Come on in!"

Belle walked in and placed her bag on one of the coat hooks.

"It's…" Jacob looked at the clock, "Almost three in the morning. Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not. But for now I just want to sleep. I can explain it all tomorrow."

Belle was being truthful. She was outright exhausted.

"Yeah, sure, okay. You can take my bed," Jacob told her. "Follow me."

Belle followed Jacob into his bedroom. The place was surprisingly neat. She'd expected to see clothes thrown around, or something to that extent.

A queen sized bed lay in the middle of the room, topped with a gray comforter that had black roses on it.

"I have some shorts if you want to borrow them to sleep in. And some t-shirts, too," Jacob offered.

"Oh." It hadn't occurred to Belle that she ought to have brought some clothing with her. "That would be great, thank you."

Jacob nodded and proceeded to pull a pair of shorts and a black shirt that had 'show no fear' written on it. Belle smirked. The shirt seemed to fit Jacob's personality. He was quite brave.

"Thank you so much," she said, accepting the clothing.

"Sure. Anything for you. I mean - let me know if there's anything that you need." Jacob blushed. He'd had a crush on Belle for a long time, but had been reluctant to act on it. It had taken several shots of alcohol for him to even get up the nerve to ask her to come upstairs with him. It wasn't that he was afraid to ask, it just seemed disrespectful to do so while sober.

"I truly appreciate it." Belle turned her back to Jacob and removed her shirt and bra, then put on his t-shirt.

Jacob stared for a few seconds, his half drunk mind hoping that she might turn around and give him a good view, but he soon came to his senses.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll… uh… be on the couch. Come get me if you need anything."

"I will!" Came Belle's reply.

Soon enough, Jacob was gone and she was changed into his clothing. She crawled into bed and quickly fell asleep.

00

Belle woke up around noon the next day. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised at her surroundings, but she soon regained her memory of what had happened the night before.

Rumple and Mary Margaret had accused her of cheating.

A feeling of anger washed over her. She'd done nothing of the sort! There was no way that she was going back. Not right then, at least. She needed some time. When he proposed, Rumple had told her that there was trust between them. Apparently, that wasn't true.

She briefly considered going back to the house to gather some clothing and other items, but decided against it. She didn't want to face Rumple again. It would lead to more fighting, more stress. Maybe she could get Jacob or Taryn to go over for her instead.

00

Rumple fell asleep around dawn, having stayed up all night sulking. Mary Margaret had been there the whole time, but she eventually had to leave, having her own family to care for. Feeling bad about leaving him alone, she called Emma and asked her to come.

Emma arrived and found Rumple sleeping on the sofa, just as Mary said he was. She quietly took a seat on the couch next to his. She had nothing to do until he woke up, so she took out her phone to search around on-line. Mary had told her that Belle had cheated, but Emma couldn't imagine that happening. Belle seemed to love Rumple very much. Not only that, she seemed to be a very honest person. Something was off, and she planned to find out what.

00

Rumple was still asleep at 2, when there was a knock at the door. The sound woke him. He was also surprised to see Emma nearby instead of Mary, but he didn't question it. Even though Rumple was awake, Emma got up to open the door.

"Hello?"

Standing before her were a young man and a young woman. The boy was a handsome blonde and the girl was a freckled red-head.

"Hi. We're here to get some stuff for Belle," the girl explained. "I'm Taryn. This is Jacob."

Rumple jumped up once he saw Jacob.

"You!" He pushed past Emma, "You're going to pay!"

Jacob took a step back.

"What are you talking about?!"

"You stole my Belle! You lured her away and now she's gone!"

"What? Are you talking about her sleeping over at my place? Because she came to me on her own!"

At that point, Emma stepped in to separate the two men before a fight could break out. She didn't count on Rumple using his powers to throw her back against the wall.

With the sheriff out of the way, Rumple used his magic to choke Jacob and lift him into the air.

"I could kill you now," Rumple hissed, "Kill you slowly, cut off your air supply for another moment, but I'm not going to do that. No… I'm going to make it much, much worse."

With that, he pulled Jacob inside and magically bound him from moving. He did release the pressure on Jacob's throat, at least.

"And you," he looked at Taryn, "You tell my wife that Jacob's blood is on her hands!"

Taryn was horrified.

"Mr. Gold, sir, Jacob really didn't do anything! I swear! You can ask anyone who was nearby!"

Rumple took a moment to draw up an image of Belle. He could see her sitting on Jacob's bed, wearing the man's clothing.

"My wife is in his bed and yet you say they've done nothing together?"

"No! No they haven't!"

"I don't believe you."

With that, Rumple slammed the door shut and locked Taryn out.

00

Taryn had gone running over to Jacobs and had brought Belle back to the house as quickly as possible. Emma was outside, as were a few firemen and Regina.

"Don't go in there!" Emma instructed. "He's holding Jacob hostage."

The situation didn't deter Belle in the least. She had the dagger, after all. She could control Rumple if necessary.

"I can talk to him. I need to go."

Emma pulled her back, but Belle pushed her away. She walked up to the doorstop, thoughts focused on the crisis at hand. She could vaguely hear Emma telling the firemen to back off.

Belle tried to open the door but found that it wouldn't budge. She could get her key in, but the door refused to open. Rumple must have been using his magic to keep it shut.

"Rumple!" She called out, "It's Belle! Let me in!"

Nothing.

"Rum!" She tried again, "Please, please let me in! I can explain everything!"

There was another silence, but after a few seconds, she felt the pressure that was keeping the door locked release.

Cautiously, she walked inside.

Jacob was there, tied to a chair with what looked like mere string. Surely, it was enchanted somehow, or he would've escaped.

"Oh my god!" Belle rushed over, "Where is he? Where did he go?"

Jacob opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Rumple had taken his voice, too.

"I'm so, so sorry," Belle told her friend. "I'm going to talk to him. Stay calm!"

Belle took off up the stairs. She had a feeling as to where Rumple was.

"Rum," she said, pushing the bedroom door open.

She had been correct about his location. He was standing there, staring down at a photograph that he was holding.

"Rum… You've got to let him go!"

Rumple turned to her, a dark look in his eyes.

"Why? So that you can go screw him again?"

"I never screwed him! What the hell has gotten into you?!"

"You're lying!" He hissed, "I saw you! Saw you both, walking along. He asked if you wanted to go upstairs with him, and you did!"

Belle's eyes grew wide.

"Y-yes, Rumple, I did go up with him. But didn't you see when I told him that I wouldn't sleep with him because I was married to you?"

Belle almost wanted to cry. Her husband truly had no trust in her.

"Lies," Rumple repeated.

It was then that Belle lost it. She began to cry.

"If you truly don't believe me, then punish me, not him," she said, softly.

Rumple shook his head.

"Where's the fun in that? By killing him I kill two birds with one stone. He will forever be on your conscious."

Belle shook her head.

"Who are you? Where is the man that I married? That I love?"

Rumple walked towards the door, the paused and turned around.

"You killed him, too."

00

Rumple slowly walked down the stairs. He was going to finish Jacob off. Belle would be there to watch - it was perfect!

He noticed that the blonde began to struggle harder as he saw his captor approaching.

"Now now," Rumple said, grinning. "Struggling will just make it more painful.

Belle came running down the stairs, dagger in hand.

"Rumplestiltskin! I command you not to harm Jacob!"

Nothing happened. Stunned, Belle looked at the dagger, then held it up yet again.

"I command you not to harm him!" she tried again.

Nothing.

Rumple turned to her, "Sorry, dearie, but about that...Ya see, I sort of switched the dagger out. You know, in case something like this were to happen." He turned back to Jacob, "Now, where were we?"

He placed his hands on Jacob's shoulders, intent on using his magic to destroy the man from the inside out. Jacob closed his eyes and braced for what would be his final moments and then - then nothing happened.

After a few seconds, Jacob turned to look at Rumple.

The man was frozen in place, surrounded by a blue light.

Suddenly the front door opened. Regina walked in, followed by Emma and a small swarm of police officers.

With a flick of her wrist, Regina undid the magic string keeping Jacob in place. Then she moved on to Rumple.

She forced his wrists behind his back and slapped a pair of black handcuffs on them.

"Those will keep him from using his magic on anyone else," she explained. "Once we get back to the holding cell I can enchant that so he can't get out as well."

"Good idea," Emma replied. She motioned for the officers to take Rumple away.

As they dragged him out of the house, she noticed Belle, sitting on the stairs and crying.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

"Regina, he's seizing… or something," Emma called out.

Rumple had been put into the cell an hour prior. He'd sat quietly in the corner until he started to shake violently.

"Oh, what now?" Regina mumbled. She walked out of her office and noticed that Emma was in fact correct, Rumplestiltskin seemed to be having some type of seizure.

She concentrated for a second, using her magic to stop him from moving.

"This is only temporary. We need to get him to the hospital."

"Yeah, okay," Emma agreed. "You got the handcuffs?"

"I do. You open the cell, I'll get them on."

00

Regina, Emma and Rumple rode to the hospital in the squad car. Rumple was in the back, Regina next to him. With the handcuffs in place he couldn't do much damage, but Regina wanted to be sure.

They arrived at the emergency room entrance where Emma let them out, promising to park and return in a few minutes. Regina pulled Rumple inside.

With the mayor by his side, Rumple was put to the front of the patient waiting list and quickly escorted to a private hospital room. Dr. Whale soon appeared.

"I was told that he was having a seizure?" the doctor asked. Rumple was currently handcuffed to the bed, seemingly staring into space.

"He did."

"I need to run a few tests, but we'll need him to get into a hospital gown first."

"Ugh." This was going to be difficult to do with the handcuffs on. "Alright, just give me a few minutes."

00

When Emma walked in she was immediately put to the task of getting a hospital gown on Rumple while Regina used her magic to repel anything that Rumple might try to throw at them. He didn't seem to be trying, though. Rather, he just stood there and allowed Emma to remove his clothing.

First she'd taken off his pants, leaving him only in his boxers. Then she removed his shirt.

Regina gasped.

"Yeah, I know, it's weird," Emma commented.

"Why does he look like that?" She was referring to his stomach and she looked absolutely disgusted.

"He's pregnant."

For the first time ever, Emma saw Regina's jaw drop.

00

"Pregnant. You're serious?"

"Yup. Did some kinda magic spell." She returned her gaze to Rumple and held up the hospital gown, "Put your arm through here."

"Good god, I thought he was just getting fat again."

"I'm right here, you know," Rumple finally said, glaring at Regina.

Emma quickly finished getting him into the gown and knotted the ties on his back.

"Okay, back on the bed," Regina ordered, seeing that he was dressed.

Rumple obliged and laid back down, not bothering to fight when Regina slapped one handcuff on his wrist and the other to the bed. As she did this, Emma peered into the hallway. Dr. Whale was nearby.

"Doctor! We've got him ready!"

The doctor nodded and made his way back in, holding a chart in his hands.

"Alright. I assume that you're both aware of Mr. Gold's condition?" The doctor asked the two women.

"I am now," Regina answered, still feeling slightly stunned.

"Yeah, I knew about it," Emma replied.

"We've never really dealt with anything like this before. Did he sustain any head trauma recently?"

"Ask him yourself," Emma said.

The doctor sighed and looked at Rumple, who looked, well, pathetic.

"Don't let him fool you," Regina warned, noting the twinge of sympathy on the doctor's face. "He just tried to kill a man."

"Wow. Well, um. Mr. Gold, did you hit your head at all recently?"

"No."

"Any headaches?"

"No."

"Dizzy spells, feelings of vertigo, anything like that?"

"No. I can save you all some time if you'd like. I know what happened."

"Do tell," came Regina's response.

"You see, in order for the baby to live, my body had to change. Obviously the changes were unnatural. My body's been using magic to maintain those changes lest the child die. When I…" Rumple trailed off, deciding to choose his words very carefully, "When the incident with the fireman occurred I used too much of my power and my body reacted. As long as I don't use any more large amounts of magic, I _should_ be fine. Now, if you'd be so kind to get Lucia to do an ultrasound, I haven't felt the baby in an hour and I'd like to see if my son is still alive."

The calmness in Rumple's voice sent chills down her spine. How could he be so cold when so much was at stake?

The doctor blinked, also surprised by Rumple's demeanor.

"...I'll get her," he finally agreed.

Rumple silently watched the doctor leave.

00

If looks could kill, the one that Lucia was giving to Rumple would've killed him ten times over. She'd heard about what had happened - how he'd nearly killed that young fireman. If she didn't need her job she would've refused to do the ultrasound.

But, she had bills to pay. She wheeled the machine in on a cart and moved it next to Rumple's bedside.

"Can he hurt me?" She asked Regina.

"No. He can't use his magic to harm anyone besides himself."

"Good." The woman shook her head and lifted Rumple's hospital gown, not bothering to give him a warning.

"Hey! A little privacy, maybe?"

"How about no," the woman responded, making both Emma and Regina smirk.

Lucia applied the ultrasound gel on Rumple's stomach and got to work with the machine's wand. After a minute or so, she spoke up.

"The baby's still alive but his heart seems weak. He seems stressed."

"Go get the doctor, then," Regina replied.

Lucia quickly toweled off Rumple's stomach and walked off, taking the machine with her.

Once she was gone, Regina addressed Emma.

"We have a lot to do. Go back to his house, try to find the real dagger. Make sure that Belle has a place to stay for the evening and get a statement from Jacob and her other friends."

"Will do," Emma answered.


	16. Chapter 16

Ch. 16

Emma found Belle exactly where she'd been before - still on the stairs, clutching the fake dagger and crying. A feeling of pity crept up inside of the sheriff. She could only imagine how betrayed Belle felt right then.

"Hey," she said, catching Belle's attention.

"Emma," Belle replied, "Oh God, I'm so sorry."

Emma rushed up the steps and took the dagger from Belle's hands, placing it down. Then she helped the woman stand up and walk down the stairs. Once on the ground, she pulled Belle into a hug.

"You did nothing wrong. Don't be sorry," Emma whispered.

Belle sobbed again.

"Everything is ruined. Everything! Our marriage, our life together… and poor Jacob! I- I had no idea that Rumple would react that way!"

Emma ran her hand through Belle's hair.

"Shh. Breathe, Belle. Jacob is fine. A little shell shocked, but fine."

Belle pulled back and sniffled.

"Rumple… He'll be imprisoned, yes? As he was in our land?"

"Most likely," Emma replied. There was no point in lying about it. The man had committed a serious crime.

"Our child will be born in a jail cell."

Emma frowned.

"Henry was born while I was in jail and he turned out fine. Besides, you'll get custody, I'm sure."

"Custody…" Belle repeated. She would probably have to go to court and take custody of their son. How had everything gone so wrong in such a short time?

"Belle, do you have any other friends that you could stay with tonight? We have a lot to do here - need to process the house and find the real dagger."

Belle's shoulders slumped. Taryn had been one of Belle's closest friends, but she was sure that the woman wouldn't want anything to do with her now.

"She can stay with me," came a voice.

Belle and Emma turned to see Red standing in the doorway.

"I've got enough room for a second person. She can stay as long as she needs."

"Why are you here?" Emma asked, confused.

"Most of the town is here. Word travels fast, you know."

"Well go back outside and take Belle with you, if…" She looked at Belle, "If that's acceptable to you."

Belle nodded and Red put an arm around her.

"Come on. We'll go back to my place and get away from here, block it all out."

"Okay," Belle replied, numbly.

Once the two women walked off, Emma got to work.

00

"Okay." Emma looked around the house. The room where Jacob had been held was in shambles, but the rest of the place seemed clean.

"If I were Mr. Gold, where would I keep my dagger?" She asked herself.

Several places came to mind. He might keep it in his bedroom, hidden away in some compartment. Maybe in his store. But one other place stuck out in particular. Quickly, she took out her phone and dialed Regina's number.

00

"You were right," Regina said. "It was in his jacket pocket."

"I figured he would keep it on him. Wouldn't want to leave it behind anywhere."

"We've got to find a place to store it."

"Somewhere neutral, I hope?"

The temptation of having control over Rumple was huge, but Regina forced herself to do the right thing.

"Yes, Ms. Swan. We'll find a neutral place."

"What did the doctor say?"

"He's got to rest. Needs fluids and food. He has to up his strength so his magic can recharge."

"That makes sense. Is he staying at the hospital?"

Regina laughed.

"Oh, no, no. There's already a small mob formed outside for him. We'll have to take him back to the sheriff's office and keep him in the cell. Once word gets out that he won't be able to escape the fanfare might die down."

"Fair enough. I guess I should go try to set that up, then?"

"Please do."

"I can have Leroy help, if you like," Dr. Whale said, once Regina had hung up.

"Anything to get him out of here faster, eh?" Regina asked.

"Well… yes, to be completely honest. You said yourself that there's a mob formed outside."

Regina sighed.

"Alright. Send him over to the Sheriff's office. I'll inform Emma that he'll be meeting her there."

Dr. Whale nodded, "Sure thing."


	17. Chapter 17

Ch. 17

Rumple was moved back into the enchanted jail cell by midday. Emma and Leroy had worked hard, setting up a very small dresser next to the bed, an IV stand and a portable toilet, of all things. Regina had said something about the toilet making things easier for everyone.

The final touch was a shinto screen that Mary Margaret had donated, so that Rumple could have at least a modicum of privacy when using the bathroom or changing clothing.

Once everything was in place, Regina and Dr. Whale had helped Rumple in, getting him onto the bed and hooking up an IV drip to his arm.

Neither of them seemed to want to do it. It just seemed wrong to let an unborn child die for the sins that his father had committed. Besides, Belle was a good person. At least, everyone in Storybrooke thought so. Regina didn't want to attract more negative attention by killing Belle's son.

"There we go," Dr. Whale said, as he finished inserting an IV line into Rumple's arm. "Make sure he keeps that in until at least both bags of saline are gone. Then make sure he eats," the doctor instructed.

"Of course."

"And if anything else happens… Call me, I guess."

Regina snorted.

"Will do, doctor. Thank you again."

The doctor nodded and made his way out. Regina, meanwhile, sat down at Emma's desk. She'd told the sheriff to go home and get some rest. The blonde was going to have a busy evening ahead of her.

00

After resting up, the first thing that Emma did was interview Jacob.

The man was back at his home, seemingly fine. Physically at least.

"And you say that you did not have any relations with Belle last night or early this morning?"

"No! I'm telling you, we didn't do a damn thing. Not that I wouldn't want to, but she pushed me off. Said she was married and had to be faithful."

Emma wrote down some notes.

"Prior to this afternoon, did you have any contact with Mr. Gold?"

"In this world? No. Not more than seeing him on the street on occasion. In the old world… Well, he briefly turned my father into a turtle, once. For pulling his cart too slowly."

"A turtle."

"Yes. But he turned him back, surprisingly enough. I think because he saw me there. I was just a small boy."

Emma nodded.

"Alright. Thank you," Emma said, putting her notebook away. "If I have any other questions I'll give you a call."

"Okay. And he's… He's really locked up, right? Like he can't get out?"

"He can't get out," Emma promised. "We've made sure of that."

00

The next thing that Emma did was find Belle. She'd located the woman at Red's apartment.

Red had agreed to let her in, but had warned that Belle was sleeping. The waitress begged the sheriff to at least let Belle get a few more hours of rest.

Emma relented. She would talk to Belle the following day. Interview her, maybe have her take a lie detector test.

After leaving Red's place she went downstairs to Granny's intent on getting some coffee. It was there that she ran into Mary Margaret.

00

"Emma!" Mary called out, motioning for her to come closer.

Emma sighed, picked up her coffee cup and sat down next to her mother.

"What's going on with Mr. Gold? I heard he had a seizure?"

"You heard right. He's fine now, though."

Mary frowned.

"That poor man."

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"That poor man? That 'poor man' tried to kill one of our town's firemen! He also lied to his wife - completely betrayed her! Not only that, he put his child in jeopardy when he used all that magic! And yet you pity him?"

"She cheated on him," Mary replied. "That was wrong."

"And you cheated with David before you knew who he was - what your past was. You're no saint either. Besides, Belle didn't cheat."

"Mr. Gold said that he saw her."

"He said that he saw her go upstairs with Jacob, he didn't say that he saw them sleeping together. Big difference. I interviewed Jacob and I can tell that he's not lying. My next step is to give Belle a lie detector test. Once she passes we'll use it as evidence in court for when she tries to get custody of their son."

"Do you _really_ think he would've reacted so strongly if he only thought that they were having sex?" Mary questioned.

"Yes. Yes I do. Mr. Gold is powerful but behind his facade is an insecure, frightened man. I don't put anything past him."

Mary Margaret was not pleased by that answer, though she knew that Emma was correct.

"I never liked him much either but having gotten to know him...I do pity him, Emma. To an extent I feel like the world failed him, at least when he was a child. Maybe if he had grown up with loving parents, he would've been different."

"Yeah well I had a pretty awful childhood and I've never attempted to murder anyone out of jealousy so…" She trailed off.

"You're right."

"I know I am. It's a shame that Belle and the kid are going to have to suffer because of this."

Mary nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to go interview Belle later on today. I'm still not sure whether to inform her about what happened with Mr. Gold."

"She's going to find out somehow. Someone will tell her. It might as well be you or Red."

"Yeah… You're probably right." Emma picked up her coffee cup, "Alright, I have to get going. Need to see if Taryn and Brian are around. I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," Mary answered.

00

Taryn and Brian gave a similar statement to Jacob's. That they'd all gone out drinking and that Jacob had flirted with Belle a few times, but that she had made it clear that she was married.

"Thank you," Emma said, as she wrapped up the interview. "I appreciate you guys talking to me. I know it will be difficult but...Belle needs her friends right now. I hope you guys won't stop talking to her because of this."

"As long as that psycho Gold can't get to us, it's fine," Taryn answered. "He's the one we're afraid of, not her. Belle would never hurt anyone like her husband did."

"I'm honestly glad you feel that way. Please make sure to let her know that," Emma requested. "She needs as much support as she can get."

"We will," Brian replied.

With that, Emma left.

00

Emma returned to the sheriff's office to see Regina sitting at her desk, watching Rumple carefully.

"Ahem."

Regina turned to see Emma standing there. She stood up.

"Sorry I took your seat. I was observing him."

Emma looked over at was lying on the bed, iv still in his arm, staring up at the ceiling.

"Has he said anything?"

"No. He stays in the same position."

"Does he answer if you talk to him?"

"He won't answer _me_."

"Hmm." Emma walked over to the cell. "Mr. Gold, can you hear me?"

Rumple moved his head slightly, just enough to glare at the sheriff.

"I'll take that as a yes. I need to inform you that you're being charged with attempted murder. I'd suggest finding a lawyer."

"I _am_ a lawyer," Rumple replied. "I can represent myself."

"Yeah, well, whatever works. Just thought I'd let you know. Once you recover I'll be interrogating you."

"Obviously."

"I'd prefer not to deal with your sarcasm now, Mr. Gold."

Rumple huffed, but said nothing, returning his gaze to the ceiling.

Just as Emma turned to leave, she heard his voice one more time.

"Sheriff?"

"Yes?" She turned back around.

"Is Belle...Is she alright?"

Emma wanted to laugh. In fact, it took all of her willpower not to do so.

"Alright? Are you seriously asking that?!"

Rumple sighed and didn't ask anything else.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: I chose Nicholas as Mr. Gold's first name just because I liked it.

Ch. 18

Red called Emma once Belle had woken up and showered. The waitress had explained that Emma needed to ask her some questions, and Belle readily agreed.

So, Emma showed up, a cup of coffee from Granny's in hand. She felt bad for Belle. Coffee might not be a lot, but it was something she might enjoy.

"Thank you," Belle said, accepting the sheriff's gift.

The two sat down in Red's small living room. It seemed like the most comfortable place to have their discussion.

"Before we begin, I thought I should tell you that your husband was hospitalized last night."

Belle's eyes grew wide.

"Hospitalized?! For what?!"

"Calm down! He's fine. The baby's fine, too. He had a seizure and we had to take him to make sure he was okay. It ended up that he overtaxed himself using so much magic. He's recovering now, at the sheriff's station."

"Good Lord," Belle mumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. This just kept getting worse and worse.

Emma waited a few seconds for Belle to recover before continuing.

"We did manage to find the real dagger. We have it locked in custody with a neutral third party."

"Who could be neutral with that type of power?" Belle asked. "Most people would kill to get their hands on it!"

"David has it. He was the most neutral one we could think of. He's not particularly involved with you or your husband's lives."

"His wife was!"

"She doesn't know where it is. He swore that he'd hide it."

Belle thought this over. David was one of the most trustworthy people that she knew. Emma was right - David was a good choice.

"I believe you. And him," Belle added. "I just… don't know what to do. I can't visit him or he'll probably flip out again. Yet he's carrying our child, so I feel guilty if I don't go."

"That's part of why I'm here - your child. You're going to have to go to court for custody. I want to interview you, do a lie detector test - do anything I can to give you the best shot at winning. I think you will, no matter what, but you never know how judges can be. I don't want to take any chances."

"I appreciate that. I'd be happy to take the test."

"Great. We can go down to the station in a couple of hours, if you like. I just need to call ahead and get the technician there."

"But then won't I have to see him?"

"Nah. There's a few entrances. I'll make sure that he doesn't even know that you're there."

00

Two hours later Emma drove Belle to the station and took her in through the back, effectively avoiding any contact with Mr. Gold. Belle felt nervous just being in the same building as her husband, but did her best to push it down.

She followed Emma down a series of hallways that led to a small, nearly empty room. It contained only a table, two chairs, and the lie detector machine. A young man with long hair and glasses stood by. He was dressed professionally in a button down shirt tucked into black slacks.

"This is Tim," Emma introduced them.

Tim reached out to shake Belle's hand and smiled at her warmly. He had a kind smile, Belle decided. It made her feel more comfortable.

"He's the technician. He's going to administer the test. Tim, maybe you can explain it?" Emma asked her colleague.

"I'm going to going to hook you up to this machine here. It measures your heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and the sweat on your fingers. These measures are possible indicators as to if one is lying."

"Alright," Belle agreed. "Let's get started."

00

With Belle hooked up to the machine, Emma sat down across from her.

"First question. Is your name Belle Gold?"

"Yes."

Emma glanced at the machine as it scribbled lines on paper.

"Are you married to Rumplestiltskin, otherwise known as Nicholas Gold?"

"I am."

"Do you reside at 547 Sylvan Avenue?"

"I...I did," Belle answered. She wasn't sure if she really lived there anymore. Just the thought of having to step back into that house made her want to cringe.

The needles on the polygraph machine moved frantically, likely in reaction to the raise in Belle's stress levels.

"Yes or no answers, if possible," Tim told her.

"Okay."

"The night that you went out, did you flirt with Jacob Evans?"

"Yes."

Emma was somewhat surprised by that answer, but did her best not to let it show.

"Did you go to his apartment with him?"

"Yes."

"Did you go inside his apartment?"

"Yes."

"While inside Jacob's apartment, did you engage in any sexual relations with him?"

"No!"

The answer came out more forceful than Belle had wanted, but she was tired of being questioned about this. She hadn't cheated, pure and simple.

"Okay. I'm sorry, Mrs. Gold," Tim apologized.

"It's… it's fine. Keep going."

"Did you tell your husband, Mr. Gold, that you were going to go out with Taryn, Brian and Jacob before you left your home?"

"Yes, I did."

"And did he voice any discontent?"

"No. Not really."

"When you sent Taryn and Jacob to your house to gather your clothing, did you have any idea of what your husband might do?"

"No. Absolutely not. I'd have never sent them had I known."

Belle was getting more and more stressed. Emma placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Breathe," she instructed.

Belle took a deep breath and then took a sip of water from a cup that Emma had given her.

"Only a few more questions," Tim tried to reassure her.

"Has your husband ever abused you?"

"I don't understand."

"Hit you? Verbally abused you?"

"Yes. Only verbal abuse."

"Finally, did you have any idea that the dagger that was in your possession - the dagger that could be used to control the dark one - was a fake?"

Tears began to well up in Belle's eyes.

"No. I trusted him."

Once the tears began to fall, Emma motioned for Tim to stop the test. He quickly unhooked her from the machine.

Emma handed Belle a packet of tissues and turned to the technician.

"Can we talk in the hall?"

00

"She wasn't lying. The only questions that were even slightly off were the ones about where she lived and if he abused her."

"I think he yelled at her and called her names but I can't picture him hitting her, oddly enough."

"Still constitutes as abuse. She could have a good case here. A really good case."

"I know. Thanks, Tim. If you could send me over a copy of the results, I'd appreciate it."

"No problem. I, uh, don't know Belle very well, but she seems like a nice woman. For her sake, I really hope that this works out.

00

While Belle sobbed in the basement of the sheriff's office, Rumple lay on his bed, feeling on edge.

Since he'd used some of her genetics in making the elixir, he'd bonded with her on a physical level to an extent. He could feel when she was nearby, and right then, he knew she was in the building. Where, he wasn't sure. He could try to use magic to see but decided not to risk it. The baby had suffered enough as it was.

Still, the thought of Belle being so close yet so far away made him feel sick. Sick and angry at the same time.

He was concentrating on keeping himself from vomiting when Regina walked in, a stack of papers in hand.

"What do you want?" He asked, clearly annoyed.

"Just to tell you that your wife just took a polygraph test. She was asked a lot of things, including whether or not she cheated on you."

"And?" Rumple growled.

"And," Regina smirked, "She passed with flying colors. She didn't cheat after all."

Hearing this was too much. Suddenly Rumple felt very, very sick. He jumped off of the bed and ran for the toilet, ripping the IV line out of his arm in the process. He made it just in time, vomiting up the little food he had in his stomach.

Regina stood by the cell, hand on the bars, listening.

"Such a shame that you couldn't trust her, Rumple," she chided. "All of this - all you're about to go through - it was all for nothing."


	19. Chapter 19

Ch. 19

The following weeks went by in a blur, at least to Belle. She didn't feel at all like herself.

Since that morning when Rumple had tried to kill Jacob, she hadn't been back to their home. Rather, she had been staying at Granny's. The old woman didn't even ask her for money. She felt it wrong to do so.

Besides moving into a new place, Belle also bought herself a new wardrobe. She cut her hair, too. Short. Not as short as Mary Margaret's, but just above shoulder length.

She needed change. The whole incident made her feel the urge to reinvent herself and she even considered leaving Storybrooke. The only thing holding her back was the impending birth of her child. Maybe after he was born, after the court granted her custody, she would take him and leave and they could start over somewhere.

Rumple was still in jail. Though she tried hard not to think about him, she realized that he was now halfway through his sixth month of pregnancy. She wondered if he looked any different.

Forgetting him wasn't easy though. It didn't help that somehow, he'd found out where she had been staying and had begun to send her letters. Belle had no idea what they contained - she refused to open them. Instead she asked Red to filter her mail for her - to throw out anything that came from Rumple so that she wouldn't have to so much as touch it. Red thankfully obliged.

00

One evening after returning from work, Emma met her in the hallway.

"Hi, Belle," Emma greeted her. "You look good."

"Thank you," Belle replied. "I needed to switch it up a bit, as they say. So… may I help you with something?"

"Sort of. I'm here to serve you with papers. Jacob Evans is pressing charges against your husband and you'll be asked to sit on the witness stand."

Belle felt her heart sink. Emma could tell from the look on Belle's face that she wasn't happy.

"I know it'll be hard to see him but it's the right thing to do."

Belle nodded, "I know it is."

Emma handed an envelope over.

"I'm sure that Jacob's lawyer will be in contact with you shortly. In the meantime, if you need anything, feel free to call me."

Belle nodded again.

"Emma… Is Rumple… How's he holding up?"

Emma was taken aback by that question but quickly rationalized it as Belle being concerned about the baby.

"The baby's fine. Dr. Whale sees him every two weeks. No complications so far."

Belle let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Good, good. Thank you."

"Of course. I'll see you soon, Belle. Again, call if you need anything at all."

00

Jacob's lawyer was probably the most uptight person that Belle had ever met. It was like the man had a permanent stick up his ass.

She had briefly wondered what led Jacob to choose this man to represent him but the answer soon became clear. This was the only lawyer who was willing to go up against Mr. Gold, no matter the evidence against him.

Jacob had absolved Belle of any guilt in the matter. This made things slightly easier for her. Together, Jacob, his lawyer and Belle went over lists of questions that might be asked to her when she was on the stand. She rehearsed the answers that Jacob's lawyer deemed appropriate.

All too soon, the day of the trial came.

00

Belle couldn't sleep the night before. She would be forced to see Rumple the next day.

A million thoughts ran through her head. Would he ask for sympathy? How would she feel when she saw him? How would it feel to tell the jury what he had done while Rumple himself watched?

Resigning herself to not getting any rest, Belle chose her outfit for the day. A blue dress that went down to her knees with black stockings beneath it. It was somewhat conservative and had been chosen because Jacob's lawyer had said something about juries tending to prefer witnesses who wore blue.

When it came closer to dawn, she took a showered and got dressed. The trial was set for eight am. She hoped that the day would go quickly.

00

Belle walked into the courtroom alongside Red and Emma.

Emma was there because she had to be, Red came for moral support. She walked to the front of the courtroom, taking a seat directly behind Jacob and his lawyer. Across the way sat Rumple, all alone. He wore a suit that she knew to be one of his favorites. Surprisingly, it still fit him. His hair was splayed in different directions, in contrast to her own, which she had styled nicely with a blue hairpin. He also had a set of bracelets that looked like handcuffs on his wrists. Emma had warned her about that - that he would be restrained from using magic on anyone but himself. She guessed that the handcuff-bracelets were Regina's way of accomplishing that.

After a few seconds, Rumple turned and looked at her. The action made her stomach hurt. Now that she could see his face, she could tell that something was wrong. He looked gaunt. Sick. He had stubble, which was something rare for him, and huge bags under his eyes. She looked at him more closely and realized that aside from his stomach, where the baby was, the rest of his body was extremely thin.

The sight hurt. After all that he had done, Belle still had feelings for him. She didn't like seeing him sick or out of sorts.

For his part, Rumple seemed stunned by her appearance.

"You look… nice," he said, though there was no smile on his face.

"Different than the last time you saw me," Belle replied.

It was at that point that Jacob's lawyer told her to hush. Talking to the defendant, even if he was legally her husband, was a no-no, and so Belle turned away, forcing herself to stare at the judge instead.

00

The trial was surprisingly short.

There were several witnesses called before Belle, the first being Jacob. Belle mentally applauded him for being so brave as to face Rumple and everyone else the way that he did. He didn't seem to feel nervous at all.

"And then Madam Mayor entered, and she restrained Mr. Gold, thus rendering him unable to kill me."

"And did Mr. Gold state that he was going to kill you?"

"Yes. He said that if I struggled I would only make it more painful."

"So, you feel that had Regina not intervened, Mr. Gold would have in fact killed you."

"He absolutely would have."

Jacob's lawyer stepped down.

The judge looked at Rumple.

"Any questions for the witness?"

"No, your honor," Rumple answered.

And so they moved on.

As time went by Belle noticed that Rumple didn't even seem to be attempting to make a case for himself. He didn't question any witnesses, didn't refute any evidence. He just sat there, watching quietly. She wondered if he had lost the will to fight, or if he simply knew that the evidence against him was just too overwhelming.

Belle was the last one to take the stand.

Of all the things Belle had faced in life, she concluded that this was the most difficult.

She had never loved anyone as deeply as she had loved Rumple. Having to sit there and look him in the eyes and outright condemn him to god knows how long in prison was terrible.

The entire time, he kept his eyes locked on her.

Belle answered every single question truthfully, forcing herself to do so despite the emotional pain it brought.

After what felt like an eternity, Jacob's attorney asked his last question:

"Do you truly believe that your husband would have killed Jacob had Regina not intervened?"

Belle frowned.

"As much as it pains me to say it, I do."

The attorney looked to the judge.

"No further questions, your honor."

The judge then addressed Rumple.

"And do you, Mr. Gold, have any questions for the witness?"

Rumple slowly shook his head 'no'.

Soon enough, the jury was sent out to reach a verdict. Of course, it came back guilty. Rumple was taken back into police custody and told to return in two weeks for sentencing.


	20. Chapter 20

Ch. 20

Belle paced around her room at Granny's. The imagine of Rumple sitting there, looking sick and tired and worn down just wouldn't leave her mind.

She wondered why he looked so bad. Had he stopped eating? Was he sick, and was no one treating him? That didn't seem logical. Dr. Whale had been coming every two weeks. At least, that was what she had been told.

Part of her felt like Rumple deserved it. He deserved to suffer. But another part of her - a larger part - couldn't stand to think of it.

And so, as soon as the sun came up the next day, Belle found herself at the sheriff's station.

00

Emma had been stunned to see Belle there, and reluctant to let her visit with Rumple, but it soon became apparent that Belle had no intention of backing down so she finally gave in. The trial was over, anyway. It wouldn't matter if Belle visited him.

Belle sat down on the edge of the couch nearest Rumple's cell, watching as he tossed and turned in his sleep. She imagine that he was having nightmares again and she longed to hold him and comfort him.

After an hour or so, he finally awoke. When he saw Belle, he nearly fell out of bed.

"Belle?" He asked, backing himself up against the wall. "Are you… I must be dreaming this."

"It's no dream, Rumple," Belle said, softly. "I'm really here."

Still, Rumple rubbed his eyes, intent on being sure that he was awake.

"Why are you here?" He asked, after a short, awkward silence.

"I was worried," Belle said, truthfully. "You're not looking very well. I brought you something to eat, too." She handed him a small basket of muffins that she'd baked, having managed to get Granny to let her use the kitchen before the diner opened. They were blueberry, Rumple's favorite. She wondered if comfort food might help his appetite.

"Why?" Rumple was bewildered. He looked down at the basket, then back at Belle.

"Because…" Belle sighed. "Because I saw you yesterday and you looked so sad, and so sick. And what you did was wrong, and horrible, Rumple, and I'll never forget it, but I do love you and I couldn't stand by and watch you wither away."

"I see." Rumple looked down at the food again, "I don't have much of an appetite, lately," he admitted.

"I can tell. Just try to eat a little bit. Half of one."

Rumple nodded and bit in, savoring the taste of it. Belle was always good at cooking. He regretted ever criticizing her for it, especially after the food he'd been given while in the cell.

One bite led to another, then another, and before he knew it he had eaten an entire muffin. By that point he was full and he put the basket down.

"Glad to see you still like those," Belle said, smiling a tiny bit.

"I'm sorry that I can't eat more."

"Save them for later," Belle replied.

Rumple smiled at her nervously.

"I missed you. I'm so, so sorry for what I did. I know nothing can ever make it up and I'll grant you a divorce, whatever it is that you wish."

"Can we not discuss that right now?" Belle really didn't want to talk about anything overly negative.

"Alright."

"Why… uhm." Belle tried to think of a polite way to phrase her question. "Why do you look as you do?"

Rumple shrugged, unsure of how to answer. The truth was that ever since he'd found out that Belle hadn't cheated, he'd felt terrible. Guilt gnawed at him day and night. He couldn't sleep much and when he did, he dreamed of awful things. He had no appetite. Had it not been for the baby, he would've likely looked like a famine victim.

Plus, since Belle was not around, he had no reason to bother combing his hair or shaving daily. It wasn't like he had anyone to impress.

"I suppose… I felt guilty," he finally admitted. "After I heard about the lie detector test. That's why I didn't fight you in court. You deserve to have the peace of mind of knowing that I'm locked away."

"It doesn't really bring me joy to think of that," Belle replied, "Though that's not to say that I'm not angry."

Rumple nodded in understanding.

"And what about you, Belle? You've changed quite a lot in appearance."

"I had to," Belle explained. "I had to change. Everything reminded me of you. My hair - how you used to love to play with it. My clothes - how you complimented the way they looked on me. I was thinking… After the baby's born, maybe I'd start over. Move on."

"Out of Storybrooke." It was a statement, not a question.

"Probably. Start somewhere new. Plant new roots."

Rumple closed his eyes, trying to keep himself calm.

"I won't deny you that right, Belle."

"I know you won't. You wouldn't be able to, even if you wanted."

"That is true. I simply meant that I would not fight you on it. Though I'd miss you terribly. I always miss you, Belle…" He looked at her, fear and sadness and hurt in his eyes.

Belle had to look away. It was too much.

"I have to go," she said, picking up her bag.

Rumple nodded sadly.

"Thank you for seeing me."

"I, uh. I might be back, later. Maybe."

Rumple forced a smile.

"I would like that very much."

00

Belle didn't tell anyone about her decision to go back later that evening. She still felt a wide range of emotions, but deep down she knew that she wouldn't be able to rest unless she at least tried to make Rumple more comfortable somehow.

Before leaving for the sheriff's office, she ordered a two cheeseburgers and french fries to go. It was one of Rumple's favorite meals - maybe she could get him to eat it if she ate as well.

Thankfully Granny didn't question her when she walked out with her food.

Besides the meals, Belle carried with her a small bag. It contained two shirts and a pair of sweatpants - items that she'd picked out for Rumple at the store. She still didn't have it in her to return to the house just yet, so new clothes would have to do.

Both t-shirts were made of soft cotton and seemed exceptionally comfortable, and the pajama pants were soft and plaid. They looked like they felt better than the prison garb that Rumple had been wearing when she'd last seen him. Now, her only obstacle would be facing Emma yet again.

00

"You really shouldn't be here," Emma told her, as she walked through the door. "If not for yourself then for him."

That last part caught Belle's interest.

"For him?"

"You're giving him false hope. He was happy when you left. He actually ate his lunch and he was polite to Regina."

Belle sighed.

"Look - he's going to be locked up for a long, long time. They dwarves are building him a special cell at the penitentiary as we speak. Don't let him start to think that something will change, or that you'll come visit him all the time. Once he had that baby you'd better run with it. Go off to Boston, start over. Meet a new man - I'm sure you'll have no trouble."

"Since he'll be going to jail then I see no harm in making his last two weeks here decent," Belle countered.

"Again - false hope."

"So what? What do you care?"

"I…" Emma took a deep breath, trying to push down the memories of when she was incarcerated - how somewhere, deep down inside, she had hoped that Neal would be there when she got out. Maybe Gold deserved that type of pain.

"I don't. You're right. Forget I said anything."

After Emma searched her bag, she let Belle walk on by, watching as Belle took a seat near Rumple's cell.

He was sitting on the bed and reading a book, but immediately perked up when he saw her.

"You returned!" A genuine smile graced his lips.

"I did. And I bought you some gifts."

"Gifts?"

"Nothing big." She passed the bag of clothes through the bars.

Rumple looked inside curiously.

"Oh…" He pulled out one of the shirts. It was simple and gray, nothing extravagent. "Thank you."

"It seemed more comfortable than what you're wearing."

Rumple looked down. He was wearing one of the few uniforms that the Storybrooke sheriff's office had, and it was clearly getting to be too small, at least near his stomach.

"There's pajama pants in there too, and another shirt."

Rumple took them out.

"Thank you, Belle. You didn't have to do this."

"It seemed wrong not to. Now… I was told that you ate lunch earlier, so I hope you have room left for dinner." She handed over one of the boxes containing food then took the other for herself.

Rumple smirked when he opened it, picked up the cheeseburger and took a bite.

The two ate quietly, Belle finishing her burger and Rumple getting through half of his before deciding that he was too full to continue. He put his box down and looked at his wife.

"So… why the change in heart, all of a sudden? I mean _really_ why? It can't be just because I look bad."

"Because I love you."

"I tried to kill your friend."

"And again, I'm not okay with that. I just...I love you."

"You testified against me in court."

"I don't regret it, either. You were wrong, Rumple. I understand that you have trust issues, that people have hurt you, abandoned you, and I'm sorry for all of that but you went too far and you know it."

"We've been through this," Rumple said, softly. He felt like they were going in circles.

Belle slumped forward a little. Rumple was right.

There was a short silence, both parties unsure of what to say. Then Rumple let out a little moan and rested a hand on his stomach.

"Are you alright?" Belle asked.

"Yes, yes. He just kicked."

Belle couldn't help but smile.

"Is he still keeping you up?"

"Some nights. I think he's as bored in here as I am. Usually he's not as rough, though. Maybe he knows you're here."

"Maybe," Belle agreed.

The two chatted for a while, until Emma came by and announced that it would be lights out in ten minutes.

Before he could stop himself, Rumple blurted out the question that was plaguing his mind.

"Will you come back tomorrow?"

Belle looked him in the eyes.

"I'll… I'll try to. Have a good night, Rumple."

With that, she turned and left. Rumple felt a wave of happiness wash over him yet again. She hadn't exactly promised to return, but he had a good feeling that she would.


	21. Chapter 21

Ch. 21

"You shouldn't go back."

Red was standing outside of Belle's room, staring the librarian in the face.

"Go where?"

"You know where. Like I told you, word travels fast here. You shouldn't go back to see him."

"Why does it matter? In less than two weeks he'll be gone forever. I'm simply making his last days here more comfortable."

"Because Jacob was so comfortable when he was tied to a chair and threatened with death," Red deadpanned.

"I know!" Belle replied, "I know what Rumple did! I know it was wrong! I testified against him for god's sake! But he's still my husband and he's carrying our child, Red!"

Red shook her head, "I thought you would've started divorce proceedings by now."

"I don't want to stress him and risk stressing the baby," Belle answered. It was partially true. She _had_ considered a divorce, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to file the papers. Surely the process of divorce would make Rumple even sicker than he already was!

"So as soon as the baby's born, you'll do it, then?"

"Of course." Another half truth. She might do it, then. Probably would.

Still, Red didn't seem to believe her.

"Right, well, since you've been feeling up to visiting him, Granny says that she wants 200$ a week in rent."

"Fine. Tell her I'll have it by tomorrow."

"I will."

The two women glared at each other for a moment before Red finally cracked.

"Belle… Please, just… don't get hurt. Not again."

"I won't," Belle replied. "Trust me."

00

"So… Have you considered any names?"

Belle was once again sitting outside of Rumple's cell, Emma watching them both warily.

"Well," Belle replied, "I was thinking about Edward, maybe. Or Dorian. But… my favorite is Tristan."

"Tristan," Rumple repeated. "That's a fine name. Tristan French."

Belle raised an eyebrow.

"Tristan Gold, actually."

Rumple seemed shocked.

"You're going to let him keep my last name?"

"Maybe. It _is_ tradition, after all."

"That it is." Rumple was pleased, but didn't want to let on about it too much.

"Either way - French or Gold, the name works," Belle added.

Suddenly Rumple frowned as a dark thought hit him.

"Belle… I think you ought to use your name. French."

"How come?"

"Because if he has a different name he'll be more apt to ask questions. He'll ask no matter what, but by then maybe you'll have met someone else. You can lie, tell him something better about me. Perhaps he could take his step-father's name."

"His stepfather… You've thought that far in advance?"

"Haven't you? You shouldn't stay here, Belle. You and I both know that."

Belle was beginning to get agitated. "I know, Rumple. I know what I _should_ do. Can we just… Can we just have a nice visit? Not discuss this?"

"If you wish," Rumple conceded.

"Thank you. Now, I've brought you some more things."

"More gifts?"

"I'm not sure I'd call them that. Here," She handed a small bag through the bars.

Rumple looked inside and found a hair brush, bottle of shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant and a safety razor. He snorted.

"You're not one for subtlety, are you," Rumple said, smirking.

"You've got to admit that you've looked and smelled better."

"Do you want me to use these? To wash and comb my hair?"

Belle shrugged, "It's up to you, obviously. I just thought you might like to have it all."

Rumple leaned against the bars, "And what else would you like?"

Belle sighed.

"I just want you to be okay, Rum. I want you to be healthy and happy."

Rumple smiled again.

"I'll never understand it."

"Understand what?"

"Why it is that you love me. I've done so much evil, so many wrongs, and yet you still care."

"Beats me too," Belle admitted, "But I can't help it. I can't just turn my feelings off. I tried. I tried not to think about you, to push you out of my mind, but I knew that we were tied, at least until the baby came."

"If I could go back and change it, I would," Rumple said, under his breath. He didn't make eye contact with Belle.

"What happened with Jacob, you mean?"

Rumple nodded, "I wouldn't do it. Any of it. I should've let you have your space, trusted you. I pushed you to your limits. I know that now. I should've realized it then."

"I tried, Rum. I really did. I tried to make things nice for you. Make your life easier. When you would insult me, nag me, yell at me...It was hard to deal with. I kept pushing it down."

"I should've realized that, too. I was selfish."

Belle stared at Rumple, shocked. Rarely ever did he admit such flaws.

"Thank you for saying that," Belle finally replied.

"I still love you too, though. Always will."

Belle placed a hand on top of Rumple's.

"And I'll always love you too."


	22. Chapter 22

Ch. 22

That evening, Belle lay awake. The bed she was lying on, though small, felt empty. For the first time since the incident with Jacob, Belle missed having Rumple by her side.

For a while she tried to think about other things. Her work for the week, the new employee she'd hired - how she would have to train him. All of the other errands that she had to do.

But her thoughts kept returning to Rumple. Rumple, who was also sleeping alone, but in a cold cell. She doubted that anyone really talked to him there. At least, not more than they had to. And it would be like that forever, too. No, actually, it would probably be worse.

For now, Rumple was at least safe in that cell. There weren't other inmates around to taunt him or hurt him. When he was moved to the real prison, he would be in trouble. Surely he would be required to wear the handcuffs that limited his magic. Without that, he was defenseless.

The others would pick on him. He didn't have many friends in Storybrooke and he undoubtedly wouldn't make many in prison, especially in his current condition.

Belle imagined him being labeled a freak and being thrown around, insulted and beaten up by men much younger and stronger than him. The thought made her stomach hurt. She couldn't let that happen. She had to do something, but what?

00

Having wracked her mind all evening, Belle finally came up with an idea.

Money.

Money was everything, really. Money and security.

What if she could convince Jacob and his lawyer to accept a deal? Rumple was extremely wealthy. He could easily pay Jacob a very comfortable annual sum for the rest of the young man's life. Of course, Jacob probably wouldn't be happy with just that. Rumple did try to kill him, after all.

What if they were to leave Storybrooke? The two of them. And sign a contract to never return. That might work. No one wanted Rumple there anyway. Not even Henry. The kid hadn't even visited his grandfather once while he was in custody. Not that Belle really blamed the kid. But still.

If they agreed to leave and never come back, maybe Rumple could avoid jail time. Belle wasn't sure if it would work, but it was worth bringing up at the very least.

00

After paying Granny her two hundred dollars, Belle ordered two breakfast plates and made her way over to the sheriff's station.

She showed up early, just as Emma was walking in. This time the sheriff didn't even question her. Rather, she gave Belle a dirty look but let her inside.

"He should be just getting out of the shower," Emma said, looking at the clock. "Mark usually takes him at seven."

"Mark?"

"The guy we had to hire to deal with your husband while he's here. Can't leave him unattended in the showers."

"He doesn't have magic. He won't be able to do much."

"Still not a chance that myself or Regina is willing to take."

Belle fought the urge to roll her eyes. She said nothing. No point in picking an argument with the sheriff.

"On the bright side, since he's actually taking a shower, it'll be a lot less stinky in here," Emma half joked.

"You're welcome," Belle muttered.

Soon enough Rumple emerged from another room, followed by a young black man. He was dressed in his prison uniform but had one of the t-shirts that Belle had given him pulled over it. His hair was sopping wet but combed and he appeared to be freshly shaved.

Belle had to admit, it was a welcome sight.

Mark led Rumple into his cell and locked the door, then turned and left.

"Belle! What a lovely way to start the morning," Rumple said, smiling at her.

"Lovely indeed. You look good."

"As do you. But then again, you always look good."

Belle couldn't help but blush.

"I've brought you breakfast." She handed a tray through the bars, watching as Rumple sat down on his bed and opened it.

Belle sat down on the edge of the couch and did the same.

As the two ate, they made small talk.

"How's he doing today?"

"Tristan?" Rumple asked, swallowing a bite of pancake. "He's… active. As I told you, I think he knows when you're here."

"So we've settled on that, then? Tristan?"

Rumple put his fork down.

"You can name him whatever you like, love. I just thought Tristan fit him best."

Belle nodded, unsure of what to make of that comment. In French, it meant 'sad'.

After breakfast was finished, Belle leaned in closer to the bars, Rumple following suit.

"I've thought of something, Rum."

"And that is?"

"An idea. Rum, you can't go to prison. Not real prison." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes at the mere thought of it. "They'll kill you."

"My magic will keep me alive."

"Then the other inmates will make you wish you were dead."

Rumple swallowed nervously.

"Well, isn't that what's supposed to happen? What I deserve?"

"No!" Belle answered, more loudly than she wanted to. Emma glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow, but quickly returned to the newspaper she was reading. "No, Rum, I can't let that happen. Jacob… Jacob's not unreasonable. What if we offer him a deal?"

That caught Rumple's interest.

"A deal?"

"Yes. An offer he can't refuse. What if we offer him money - all the riches he could want, and we offer to leave town. You can afford it - to keep him set up for the rest of his life. And we could start lives elsewhere, together. Let's face it, you're not particularly welcome in Storybrooke. The thought of us leaving may make some people happy."

"You mean the thought of _me_ leaving," Rumple corrected.

"Well, yes," Belle admitted. "Yes, of you leaving. What if we write up a contract? Present it to Jacob and his attorney? And we could present it to the townspeople, spread a rumor or something. Make them think about it. They might sway the judge's opinion, especially if Jacob and his lawyer sign off on it."

"It's possible," Rumple replied, "I mean, perhaps we could persuade him. Or you could."

"I think it's worth a shot. I can't bear the thought of you being locked up in such a terrible place. Especially not when you're with child!"

Rumple reached out and took Belle's hands.

"Belle, look at me."

Belle did as she was told.

"It's a good idea. If anyone can convince Jacob, the town and the judge, it's you."

"So we should go for it, then?"

"Yes, I think we should."


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Guest, the reason the sheriff's office would've hired someone is because Rumple is a male and most places in the US don't allow a female to supervise male prisoners bathing or undressing. The same would be true with a female prisoner - there wouldn't be a male guard in the bathroom/shower area with them. Since David has the dagger, he can't act as a neutral party thus could not stay with Rumple whenever he had to bathe and such.

Ch. 23

While Jacob had not been reluctant to meet with Belle, his lawyer definitely was. So, the two settled on meeting at The Rabbit Hole alone.

Jacob seemed to be doing fine. He looked good, strong and fit and handsome as ever. Obviously Rumple hadn't done any permanent damage physically.

Mentally, he seemed okay too. Yes, he harbored anger towards Rumple, but Belle felt that that was understandable.

After a few drinks, they got down to business.

"Everything you've said about your anger towards him, I understand," Belle began. "But I have a proposition for you."

Jacob downed another shot, nervous about what Belle was going to suggest. He really just wanted the whole thing put behind him.

"Go on," he finally said.

"May I ask how much money you make annually as a fireman?"

Jacob stared at her for a moment, "That's a bit of a rude question to ask."

"Alright, then. Is it a lot? Are you financially comfortable?"

"Comfortable? I'm not sure. I guess 'getting by' would be more accurate. Sure, I can afford a night out here and there but most of my paycheck goes towards necessities."

"And that's what I was getting at. Rumple has a lot of money, you see. More than anyone in town with the exception of the mayor, and even then, he probably has her beat. What if he were to pay you an annual sum, more than enough for you to live a comfortable lifestyle. Enough to where you could own a home - a house, not just an apartment - travel, if you wanted. Drive whatever type of car you liked. That type of thing."

"Well...I certainly wouldn't turn the money down, but at what cost would I get it?"

"You and your lawyer sign an agreement stating that you'll take the annual sum in return for Rumple being freed from prison."

Jacob's eyes grew wide.

"But then he'd be out on the streets again! No one would be safe! I know that you love him, Belle, but you've got to admit that he's not the safest person to have around. He could go off again and actually kill someone!"

Belle forced herself to remain calm.

"There's more," she said, once Jacob was finished. "Besides the annual sum, Rumple and I would agree to leave Storybrooke permanently."

Jacob opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. That actually did seem like a pretty fair deal. Still, it meant that other people in another town might be at risk.

After taking another shot Jacob finally spoke.

"What you're offering is somewhat fair, Belle. But I need to think it over."

"He's going to be transferred to the prison in ten days. Do you think you can get back to me before then?"

Jacob nodded, "Yeah. I think I can."

00

Belle's next stop was to Mary Margaret's apartment. She knocked on the door and Mary answered, Neal in her arms.

"Belle! What a surprise! Come on in," Mary held the door open for her.

"Thank you," Belle replied. She looked around, noticing that various toys, games and learning materials were laid out.

"Neal and I were having a fun time playing and learning," Mary explained.

Belle smiled, imagining herself playing with her own son in just a few short months.

"Come sit down," Mary led her over to the table, "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure. Do you have the iced kind?"

"I can make some for you." She made her way towards the kitchen area and began fiddling around, looking at various tea bags, trying to choose the right type.

"So what brings you here?" She asked. She'd barely seen Belle since everything had gone down. She had wanted to contact her, but felt odd about it, especially since David had the dagger.

"Well, I wanted to run an idea past you…" She began.

00

"I think it's a great idea," Mary said, as Belle finished off her second iced tea. "I mean, it's win-win for everyone." Then she caught herself, "But of course, we would all miss you, Belle."

"Everyone could visit if they wanted! Just because we couldn't come back here doesn't mean you couldn't come to us! And I'm sure that whatever home we choose will have more than enough room for guests."

Mary smiled, "You're right. I really hope it works out."

With that, Belle knew that her plan was truly set into motion. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the town knew about Belle and Rumple's proposition.

00

Back at the sheriff's office, Rumple was asleep. As his pregnancy wore on he felt more and more tired. Sadly for him, his dreams were anything but peaceful.

"No! Stop…" Rumple whimpered, curling into himself as he slept. Well, curling up the best he could with his stomach being as big as it was. "Please. Don't do it!"

Emma looked over at him. Now the man was shaking. She sighed and stood up.

"Rumple!" She called out, tapping a ruler against the bars of his cell. "Wake up!"

Nothing. If anything, Rumple shook even harder.

"So sorry…" He whispered, "But he's innocent. Take me."

Rumple's mind had taken him to a terrible place. He was surrounded by everyone - Regina, Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Red and even Granny were there! He was surrounded. Jacob stood next to Belle, who looked on coldly. There was nowhere to run. He was held up against a wall.

"Enough!" David said, stepping forward. He turned to the townspeople, "We'll take care of this problem once and for all."

With that, he held up the dagger. Rumple could feel his heart racing.

"Please, please - it's not the child's fault! He didn't ask for this! Belle, tell them!"

But Belle said nothing. Instead she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

"Any child of yours would only be evil, just like you. It's better this way," David said.

Before Rumple could react, David plunged the dagger into his stomach. Rumple dropped to his knees, and blood began to pour from his wound.

"No…" He begged, but again, David stabbed him. "Please…"

It was then that he felt something shaking him. He opened his eyes to see Emma standing above him, a stern yet concerned look on her face.

"Sheriff?" He asked, weakly.

"You were having a nightmare."

Rumple hugged his blanket around himself a little tighter.

"Indeed, I was." Without thinking, he moved a hand down to his stomach, feeling instant relief when the baby kicked. Everything was okay, at least for the present time.

"You were really upset. You kept talking, begging whatever you were dreaming of to stop."

Rumple nodded, "They killed him. Not just me. They killed him, too. Him _first_."

Any anger that Emma felt melted away when she saw the sadness in Rumple's eyes.

"He hadn't done anything. He hadn't even been born yet, but they killed him."

Emma frowned and sat down on the edge of Rumple's bed.

"Hey… It was just a dream."

"It felt real."

"I know. I could tell." Emma looked down at her feet, trying to think of what to do. "Would it make you feel any better if I got you something to eat? Or I could call Belle."

"No, no. Don't bother her. She doesn't need to deal with this," Rumple answered. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

Emma shook her head, "It's okay. You really love that kid, don't you?"

"More than anything." Rumple looked like he was about to cry.

"And you love Belle, too."

"I love her just as much. I'd give my life for either of them."

Emma completely believed him.


	24. Chapter 24

Ch. 24

Word of Belle's proposition soon found its way around Storybrooke. People spoke of it in Granny's, on the streets. It was a big deal - the thought of mean Mr. Gold possibly leaving forever.

Most people were for it. Whether Rumple had been cruel to them in their homeland or nasty to them while under the curse, most people wanted him out.

Thus, Belle wasn't surprised when she received a phone call from Jacob's lawyer, asking to meet. Belle agreed, on the condition that Rumple be allowed at the meeting as well.

00

The meeting was held in one of the rooms at the sheriff's office. Emma and Regina were also present, if only because they were curious about what would happen.

"Word's gotten around that you've made a proposition to my client," the lawyer addressed Belle, then looked at Rumple.

"I did," Belle answered.

The lawyer looked at Jacob, then back at Belle.

"An annual sum was mentioned, I believe. How much money are we talking?"

Belle opened her mouth to answer, but instead Rumple spoke up.

"Whatever he wants. Five hundred thousand a year? A million? I can spin straw into gold - money truly isn't an object."

Both Jacob and his lawyer's jaws dropped upon hearing that.

"A million dollars a year?" Jacob asked, just to confirm.

"If that's what you require, then yes. I'll make sure you receive it."

"I, uh…" The lawyer started. He really hadn't been expecting Rumple to offer that much cash. It took him a second to gather his thoughts. "I recall that there was mention of you moving out of Storybrooke permanently, too. Am I correct?"

This time, Belle spoke.

"You are. We would leave and never return."

Rumple nodded in agreement to this.

The lawyer nodded.

"Well, you've offered a very generous sum and the prospect of you leaving town seems to make many of our residents happy, but there is one more issue I'd like to discuss."

Belle felt her heart sink. What else could these people possibly want?!

Rumple, however, knew exactly what they were after.

"Magic," he said, smirking. "You want me to be unable to use magic."

The lawyer thought his words over carefully.

"It's more that we don't want you to be able to use magic to harm anyone else."

"Without magic I will be unable to spin the straw into gold," Rumple explained.

"Again, we don't want you to use to it harm anyone else. Now, is it true that David Nolan has the dagger?"

"It is," Emma said. "He has it hidden."

"You, Rumplestiltskin, are controlled by the dagger, are you not?"

"I am," Rumple answered truthfully.

"So if David was to command that you are never to hurt or kill another, you would have to follow that?"

"I would," Rumple said, smirk fading away. He had hoped that it wouldn't come to this - having to give up so much of his power.

"In that case, then perhaps we can strike a deal," the lawyer said. "A contract will be drawn up listing what you would be banned from doing. David would sign it, as would you. The contract would also contain the other terms and conditions that we've discussed."

Rumple wanted to say no. He wanted to yell and punch the two men sitting in front of him. He wanted to beat them senseless. How dare they have the audacity to try to take away his power? His nostrils flared and suddenly Rumple's eyes seemed darker. Belle knew what that meant.

Quickly, she grabbed his hand.

"Rum… Think of Tristan," she said, softly.

Right then, as if on cue, the baby kicked.

Rumple's shoulders slumped. Belle was right. He had to think of Tristan, and of Belle, too. He had been selfish for far too long. It had cost him Bae. He couldn't lose Tristan, too.

"That's… fine," he finally agreed. "I just want to ensure that the dagger won't be used against me to harm me. I want my child to grow up with a father."

The lawyer smiled, "I'm sure we can add that in. So, we have a deal?" He held out his hand.

Rumple shook it.

"Yes," he said, grudgingly, "We have a deal."

00

Belle was happy. The happiest she'd felt in months. She and Rumple would have a fresh start! They could raise their family together! There was also the relief that she felt knowing that Rumple wouldn't be sent to prison.

Well, he likely wouldn't be sent. Once the contract had been signed by all parties, it still had to be submitted to the judge.

Belle walked alongside Emma and Regina as they led Rumple back to his cell. Though she was happy, he didn't seem the least bit excited.

Once he was locked into his cell, Belle was left alone with him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking Rumple over.

She couldn't tell if he was sad or angry or what the issue was. She assumed that it had to do with the deal regarding the dagger.

"You know what's wrong," Rumple answered, glaring at her. When she frowned, his expression softened.

"I've just… I've never been without the dagger. It…" He trailed off, really not wanting to say what he was feeling.

"It what?" Belle questioned.

"It frightens me," Rumple said, under his breath. "It could be used to kill me and I'll have no control over it at all."

Belle nodded in understanding, "But David will have it. And David is nothing if not a good man. He will not use it to harm you."

"He may be good, but what if someone else gets it? Regina, for instance. She would happily use it against me."

"And kill her son's grandfather? Don't you think Henry would have an issue with that?"

"Someone else, then. Anyone whom I've ever wronged could get it. It's a huge risk, Belle, but I feel as though I have no choice."

"I trust that David will keep the dagger safe. Perhaps we can have it written in to the contract that the dagger be passed to Henry should anything happen to David. And there are other options, too. Perhaps you can enchant something to warn you if the dagger is taken by another."

"Those are both good ideas," Rumple conceded.

"We'll work it all out," Belle promised, reaching through the bars for his hand.

Rumple took it and held it to his cheek, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin against it.

"It will be alright, my love," Belle reassured him. "Everything will be alright."

00

Rumple was in his cell, minding his own business. That seemed to be the best course of action, he reasoned - stay quiet and stay out of the other inmate's ways.

There were no windows in the cell but he felt as if it were nighttime. At that moment, he felt Tristan kick hard against him. He flinched and rested a hand on his stomach, willing the kid to stop.

It was almost time, now. He'd be ready for the c-section any day now. He was looking forward to it, really. He couldn't even see his feet anymore and he felt tired almost constantly.

'Calm down,' he whispered, feeling Tristan kick again.

At that moment, the door to his cell opened. A guard led another prisoner in. The prisoner was a big man, at least six feet tall and pushing three hundred pounds. He grinned evilly when he saw Rumple.

"Your new cellmate, Gold," the guard called out, before turning and locking the door up again.

Rumple's eyes grew wide. He knew this man.

"Andrew Mattson," Rumple said, looking him over.

"You remember me, do you?" The man's smile grew even larger. "I'm not surprised, after what you did, throwing myself, my wife, my three children out into the cold because of one month's missed rent. You know that Adam, my four year old - he got real sick. Died of pneumonia. Probably because he was living in our car and in the middle of winter. And my wife… she never recovered."

"Why are you here?"

"Well, ya see, after we lost everything, I did my best to give us a new start. I tried to find jobs, honest work, but I couldn't. And so I turned to stealing. Unfortunately, one of the men I stole from didn't follow my instructions, and he ended up… Let's just say it wasn't pretty, and I got life."

"I see."

"And since this state doesn't have capital punishment, adding another victim to my list won't change anything."

Rumple cursed under his breath. The handcuffs were still on his wrists. He couldn't defend himself with magic.

Mattson took a step closer, looking Rumple over.

"Either you've really let yourself go, or something else is going on."

"Nothing's going on," Rumple answered, defensively. "I've just gained some weight is all."

Of course, Tristan chose right then to kick him in the ribs. Rumple tried to stifle a groan.

"Right. _Nothing_."

He moved another step closer. He was only a foot away now.

"Andrew, I'm sorry for what happened to your family," Rumple started. "I...I know it's hard to believe, but I've changed. I've got a family myself and I'd never wish your son and wife's fates on my own."

"And this is supposed to make me feel better, somehow?"

"I'm asking you for mercy."

Mattson was slightly taken aback by that.

"The rich and powerful Mr. Gold, asking for mercy. Never thought I'd see that."

Rumple relaxed ever so slightly, thinking that perhaps he was safe.

Instead, he was caught off guard, when Mattson punched him.

First he punched Rumple in the face, then, while the smaller man was stunned, punched him in the stomach.

Rumple collapsed to the ground. Mattson didn't stop there, though. He began to kick Rumple, in the face, chest and stomach. Rumple tried to shield himself, but was unable to withstand the blows. One kick hit him so hard that he couldn't even cry out for help.

Not that any help would come if he did.

Still, he tried. He opened his mouth, tried his best to yell, but couldn't catch his breath enough to do so.

00

"Hey! Wake up!"

Rumple could vaguely hear someone's voice.

"Rumpelstiltskin! Wake up!" It called out yet again.

Then there was shaking. Something was shaking him. Or someone.

A smack to his face was what finally woke him up. He opened his eyes, feeling incredibly confused about what had happened.

"Sheriff Nolan?"

David was standing near him, looking extremely concerned.

"You were having a nightmare," David explained.

"So I was. Thank you for waking me."

Rumple felt embarrassed above all else. It was bad enough that he was powerless and weak as it was, for others to find him writhing and yelling loud enough in his sleep to cause them concern made it all even worse.

Suddenly, something else caught his attention.

Tristan. He wasn't moving.

Tristan was always active after he had nightmares. Rumple's stress inevitably stressed out the baby as well. It was something that made Rumple feel guilty, but he didn't have much control over it.

Now, though. Now the baby didn't seem to be moving at all.

"Are you alright?" David asked, noticing the look on Rumple's face.

"I...I'm fine, I think."

"You _think_? Is something wrong?"

Rumple mentally tried to reason himself. Maybe Tristan was fine, maybe he had somehow gotten used to Rumple's nightmares. Then again, if he wasn't fine, it would probably be better to act now than to wait.

"I can't feel him. I think something may be wrong," Rumple said, softly.

"It might be nothing, there were days where Neal didn't kick Mary Margaret at all for hours," David replied.

"Something just feels wrong."

"Okay. It's going to be okay. I'm going to take you to the hospital, and then I'm going to call Belle."

"Thank you," Rumple replied.

He said nothing as the blonde helped him out of his cell and into the car, his thoughts focused only on the baby and if he was alive.


	25. Chapter 25

Ch. 25

By the time Belle arrived at the hospital, the room that Rumple was in was already crowded. David was there, as was Mary Margaret, Neal and Emma.

Doctor Whale was there as well. When Belle entered the room, everyone turned to look at her. She quickly pushed past the crowd and sat down by Rumple's side, on the edge of the bed.

"Are you alright?" She asked, nervously.

She was clearly out of breath and was sweating.

"I should ask you the same," Rumple replied.

"Huh?" Belle thought for a moment, then realize how she looked. "Oh, I ran here. Literally. I'm sorry it took so long - I grabbed the first clothes I could find but it's still a couple of miles."

"Oh, man," Mary said, in an annoyed tone. "I should've picked you up. I got the call from David and came straight over and didn't think of you. I'm sorry."

It was then that Belle noticed that Mary Margaret was holding Rumple's hand in what looked like an attempt to comfort him.

"I owe you an apology as well," Emma added.

"It's fine, all is forgiven, now, is Rum okay?"

"I was just explaining to everyone that from what we can tell, the baby is fine. He's moved into an odd position - that's why Mr. Gold couldn't feel him, but we did an NST and he's definitely alive."

At this point, Rumple blushed.

"I've worried you all for nothing. I apologize."

Everyone in the room gave him an odd look.

"You don't have to apologize," Emma finally said. "Hell, if it were my kid, I'd be concerned too. Especially if I were a guy. You did the right thing."

"To be safe, we can keep him overnight, if that's alright by you of course," Dr. Whale said to Emma.

Emma looked at David.

"I'm fine with it so long as there's someone here with him. Someone besides Belle, I mean."

"I guess I can stay, unless you need me at home?" He questioned his wife.

"No, no. Neal and I will be just fine," Mary smiled at him.

"Good. Okay then. I'll see you both in the morning," David said. He kissed Mary on the lips and waved goodbye to Emma, then took a seat next to Rumple.

The man didn't say anything, but David could tell that he wasn't pleased with the situation. It was definitely going to be a long night.

00

Thankfully for David, Belle soon started a conversation with Rumple and David soon got pulled in.

"I knew you had nightmares before, but I never thought they were this bad," Belle said, holding Rumple's hand a little tighter.

"It wasn't that bad," Rumple replied.

"You were screaming in your sleep," David remarked. Rumple again looked embarrassed, and David softened his tone. "It's okay, you know. To show weakness. Everyone has one."

Rumple was just about to respond with something angry or sarcastic when Belle spoke up.

"He's right, you know. Maybe talking about the nightmares would help. You talked about them with Mary, right?"

"I did."

"And didn't it help?"

"It did. It doesn't seem right to burden you or anyone else with it now, though. Not after all I've done."

"You can always tell me," Belle whispered, kissing Rumple's hand.

"Thank you," He whispered back.

"This isn't good for you," David said, looking Rumple over. He still looked extremely tired. The stress of the evening probably didn't help much. "I know you and I have had our differences but I understand you better than you think. You're scared. You feel guilty. All of that is normal. Maybe it would help to remind yourself that soon enough, you'll be free."

Rumple perked up when he heard that.

"Do you truly think the judge will allow it?"

"I do. He'll want to remain on everyone's good side, and pretty much everyone wants you out, so I doubt he'll protest it. At most, maybe he'll give you probation as a mandatory minimum sentence or something."

"And the dagger…"

"The dagger will be kept safe, with me. Again, we've had our differences, but I won't hurt you with it."

Rumple felt that David was telling the truth. He could tell by the way the younger man spoke and his general mannerisms.

"Thank you. I don't want Tristan growing up without a father."

"Is that the name you've chosen? Tristan? I've heard you mention it a few times but wasn't sure if it was official."

Rumple looked at Belle. She then looked at David.

"I think we can say it's officially his name. Tristan Gold."

"A very handsome name," David replied. He then looked at the clock, noting that it was near two am. "Now, you should probably get some rest."

Rumple nodded and accepted a goodnight kiss from Belle. He pulled up his blankets, feeling slightly better with her by his side.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Almost at the end!

Ch. 26

"...Rumpelstiltskin will move from Storybrooke permanently," The judge read off.

He was reviewing the contract that Rumple, Belle, Jacob, Jacob's lawyer and David had all signed.

"And it says something here about an enchanted ring?"

"It will glow if the dagger falls into the possession of anyone besides David, Mary Margaret or Henry."

The judge nodded and continued to read.

"A million dollars! Didn't expect that," he mumbled.

After several minutes, he finally looked up at Rumple, Belle and everyone else gathered before him.

"Well, since the victim willingly signed this contract, and it expressly prohibits Mr. Gold from hurting or killing anyone else with his magic, I see no reason not to allow it. However, I would like to be clear that any violation of the contract on his end is grounds for immediate arrest and re-sentencing."

"That's fair," Belle admitted.

"I do have one final request," Rumple said.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to remain in Storybrooke until it's time for the c-section. Doctor Whale knows my medical history, and I'd prefer him to do the procedure. If this means staying in the jail cell for the next two months, I'm fine with it. I don't want to take any chances when it comes to my son's well being."

"Sheriffs Nolan and Swan, can you arrange for this?"

"Well, yeah," Emma replied. "We can figure something out."

The judge nodded.

"Alright, then. Mr. Gold will remain in Storybrooke until the time that his child is born. Once he has recovered, he will permanently move," the judge reiterated.

Belle took Rumple's hand and David shot him a look that said 'I told you so'.

00

"So...I've found some homes in Portland that I thought you might like."

Belle was sitting inside Rumple's cell, which had recently been made slightly more comfortable by the addition of a new mattress, blankets and television.

Belle was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding up her ipad for Rumple to see. He was nearly eight months along now and finding a comfortable position to rest in was near impossible, but for right then, he'd managed to find a good balance between pillows and bedding. He was grateful that Belle was kind enough to hold the ipad for him so that he didn't have to move.

"This one," she said, pulling up a photo of a medium sized gray house, "Is on the edge of town. Has two acres of land, fenced in yard. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, full kitchen and finished basement."

Rumple watched as Belle swiped through some more photos of the place.

It seemed like a decent house, sure, but it wasn't exactly what Rumple was looking for.

"I take it from your expression that you're not interested?" Belle asked.

"It's just… kind of sad, isn't it? The color, and all."

"Since when are you so sentimental about colors and such? Besides, we could repaint it."

"We could. There's also the lack of extra bedrooms, though."

Belle raised an eyebrow.

"You've not yet given birth to Tristan and you're already planning on more?" She smirked.

Rumple rolled his eyes, "I meant for when Henry and Emma and everyone else come to visit."

"Oh, yes. Good point. In that case," Belle quickly searched through her bookmarks before pulling up another listing, "This might be a bit better."

The house was yellow. A bright, sunshine-y yellow. Maybe it was the hormones, but for some reason, it made Rumple happy.

"Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, one acre of land, full kitchen, a study and ooh, a three car garage!"

Rumple smiled and looked through the photos.

The house was lovely. Newly built, with lots of windows to let the light in. He wasn't sure why he liked that so much but for some reason, he did. He snorted, thinking of how Belle would probably laugh if he told her that. Him, the one who'd covered his windows in the dark castle to keep the sunlight away.

Two rooms in particular caught Rumple's interest.

The first was one of the bedrooms. It was on the second floor of the house and had light colored hardwood floors along with three large windows. The walls were painted a very light green color and the window panes painted white to match the ceiling.

It seemed like the perfect place for a nursery. Rumple briefly imagined a crib set up there, Tristan inside, a mobile hanging from the ceiling. Perhaps they could paint a mural on the wall.

Right then, Tristan kicked him hard in the ribs.

"I take it you like it too," Rumple said, under his breath.

"Hm?" Belle asked.

"Ah, nothing. I was just thinking that this room looked like a nice place for Tristan and he happened to kick was all."

Belle smiled and rested a hand on his stomach, feeling Tristan kick yet again.

"That must hurt."

"To be honest I've gotten used to it. Now… There was another interesting room. The study, I believe it was?"

"Yes, there's a study." Belle flipped back to the photo that showed it.

In contrast to the lightly colored bedroom, the study was painted a dark red with even darker maroon colored stripes. The ceiling was painted gold and the floors were covered in a dark hard wood.

"Odd, it doesn't really match the other rooms," Belle noted.

"It doesn't. Yet I really like it. The color scheme, the way it's laid out… Could be a perfect spinning room."

"I could see that."

"And…" Rumple swiped over a few more photos, "Is that a picket fence?"

"Indeed, it is. Do you think it stupid?"

Rumple shook his head.

"Oddly enough, I rather like it. I think we should put in a bid."

00

When Rumple had entered his eight month of pregnancy, Belle had left Granny's. She put her belongings into storage at Rumple's shop and essentially moved in to the jail cell with him.

Everyone thought it was weird, even Rumple.

"Are you sure you want to stay here? It's not particularly nice," He had told her.

"Of course I want to stay. I'll sleep on the floor if need be."

The truth was, with Rumple's due date so quickly approaching, Belle didn't feel right leaving him alone.

Rumple didn't complain much about it, but Belle could see that he was having difficulty getting around and staying comfortable.

Much of the time, Belle did sleep on the floor, if only because she didn't want to take up any extra space on Rumple's small bed. She wanted him to be free to move around as much as he wanted while he slept. That was another thing- he seemed to be sleeping a lot more lately.

Tonight, though, she was sharing the bed with him.

They'd piled up some pillows and Rumple was lying in front of Belle, resting his head and back on her chest. She gently ran a hand through his hair, then trailed it down to his stomach.

From the way he was breathing, Belle guessed that he was sleeping. She kissed the top of his head.

"I love you," she whispered.

To her surprise, Rumple answered.

"I love you too, Belle."

This statement was quickly followed by a loud groan.

"Rum?!" Belle asked, noticing that her husband was starting to writhe in agony. "Rum, what's wrong?!"

Rumple was squirming, or doing so as best he could. Fast as she could Belle slipped out of bed and helped him lie back against the pillows.

"Rumple? Rum, tell me what hurts!"

"Ohhhhh," Rumple groaned again, louder this time.

This caught Emma's attention.

"What's going on?" She asked, walking over to the cell.

"I don't know! Rum, what are you feeling?"

Suddenly, Emma's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, I know what he's feeling. We need to get him to the hospital. That baby's ready to come out."


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: I will probably post one more chapter after this. An epilogue. Hope you enjoyed the story!

Ch. 27

It seemed like everything was going by in a blur.

First Rumple was taken out of the cell by Emma and put into the sheriff's car. Belle helped him along the way while Emma called David to ask him to cover for her.

Emma dropped Belle and Rumple off at the emergency entrance where the two were promptly greeted by a nurse with a wheelchair. Rumple said nothing as Belle and the nurse helped him into it and took him inside. While it would have been humiliating under normal circumstances, he was in too much pain to worry about it.

The two were led into a hospital room, where Dr. Whale, Lucia and another nurse were waiting.

While the nurses helped Rumple into a hospital gown then onto the bed, Belle spoke to the doctor.

"He's two weeks early… is the baby going to be alright?" Her stomach was in knots over the whole ordeal. They didn't even have that much supplies! Belle had some small things - a few sets of clothes, a bag of diapers and some formula mix, but that was as far as it went. She'd planned on getting everything else within the next week or so.

"The baby should be fine," Dr. Whale tried to reassure her. "Two weeks early really isn't that bad."

Suddenly, two more people came through the door: Mary Margaret, followed by Emma.

Emma was stoic, barely reacting as she listened to Rumple groan in pain. Mary Margaret, however, quickly came to his side.

"Hold my hand," she told him, taking his hand in her own. "Squeeze when it hurts."

Rumple nodded and squeezed Mary's hand as another wave of pain hit. Mary did her best not to wince. She felt like he'd nearly broken her fingers!

Then, the pain seemed to stop.

"Contractions," the doctor explained. "If he were a female the baby would be preparing to exit his body. But since there's no exit, it's pushing against him." He turned to one of the nurses, "Prep a c-section kit for me and bring some anesthesia."

"No!" Rumple called out.

Everyone turned to him.

"You can't give me anesthesia. I need to be able to focus my magic. If I can't feel my body there's no guarantee that I can control it. The baby might be injured."

Dr. Whale's jaw nearly dropped.

"You do realize how painful this will be, right?"

"No… choice," Rumple gasped out, as another contraction hit.

"Isn't this going fast?" Mary asked. "It took a few hours for me to get to this point."

"It's a baby being born from an immortal man who's using magic to control his body. Did you really think things would go normally?"

Emma laughed at that while Mary just nodded in understanding.

As the nurse brought the instruments that Dr. Whale needed in, the doctor looked over his patient again.

"As I told you, this is going to hurt. I think it would be best to strap you down."

Rumple didn't much like the thought of that, but after considering what might happen if he were to accidently move while the doctor was cutting him, he decided to agree.

"Fine," he mumbled, as more pain came over him. "Do it."

The two nurses came to his sides and pulled out restraints from beneath the bed. They strapped in his arms and legs.

"You two," one nurse said to Belle and Mary, "Hold his hands."

"I was already doing that," Mary answered.

The nurse merely rolled her eyes in response.

"Alright," Dr. Whale said, "I'm going to scrub up. Nurse Carlson, please make sure the incision area is clear. I'll be back in a few moments."

The nurse opened a cabinet and pulled pulled out a blanket.

"I need to lift up your hospital gown. I'll put this over your lower body."

Rumple sighed and looked at Mary Margaret.

"You and Emma, close your eyes."

Both Mary and Emma did as they were told while the nurse did her job. When his nether regions were successfully covered, he allowed the two to open their eyes again.

"This is going to be cold," she held up a sponge that was dipped in antiseptic and rubbed it on Rumple's stomach. "It's lucky that you don't have much hair," she joked.

Rumple just glared at her.

Despite the facade he was putting up, Belle could tell that Rumple was nervous. Mary Margaret seemed to pick up on it, too.

"It's okay," Belle told him, kissing his hand. "It'll be over before you know it and then we'll have our son!"

"I know what we'll have," Rumple snipped. "It's just going to hurt like hell to get him out."

"You're strong," Mary said, smiling. "You'll manage the pain. I know you will."

Rumple didn't reply. He rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes, intent on enjoying the last few minutes before the operation.

00

Rumple didn't scream. Not once.

He groaned, moaned and looked like he wanted to scream, but somehow, he managed not to.

He'd nearly crushed Belle and Mary Margaret's hands, but neither of them complained.

The operation was a success and it wasn't long before Tristan Nicholas Gold came into the world.

Once the baby was born, one of the nurses took him to clean him up. She returned a few minutes later to see that the wound that Dr. Whale had created to remove the baby was halfway closed.

"Uh… did he do that?" She asked Belle.

"He can heal himself."

"Still… really… fucking… hurts," Rumple said, through clenched teeth.

Belle frowned, but perked up when she saw the baby.

"Tristan!" She squealed, quickly accepting the baby from the nurse.

The little boy was beautiful. He had blue eyes and a full head of brown hair. He wasn't crying, either. Rather, he was staring up at Belle almost curiously.

"How is he?" Rumple asked, as he continued to use magic to heal himself.

"He's beautiful," Was all that Belle could answer.

She held him up to show Rumple. The man didn't say anything, but a single tear slid down his cheek.

Soon enough one of the nurses undid Rumple's restraints. He reached out to touch the baby. As he did, Tristan reached out and grabbed hold of Rumple's finger.

"Awwww!" Mary and Emma said, both at the same time. They watched from the sidelines, both touched by the display of love.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: Here's a short epilogue. Hope you liked the story!

Ch. 28

"Thank you so much for all of this," Belle said to Mary Margaret.

Mary Margaret, Emma and Henry had come to help Belle, Rumple and Tristan move into their new house. Mary Margaret and David had also donated a good deal of baby supplies that Neal no longer needed, something which helped Belle tremendously.

For her part, Emma donated a crib that she and Henry had picked out together. It was white and matched the room that had become Tristan's nursery.

"It's no problem at all," Mary answered.

Most of Belle and Rumple's stuff had been moved in now. Emma and Henry had done most of the heavy lifting while Mary Margaret helped Belle and Rumple unpack and assemble things.

Mary noticed that the couple seemed to have established a schedule of sorts, where they would switch on and off when it came to taking care of Tristan.

Rumple came into the room, Tristan in his arms, and looked everything over.

"It looks wonderful," He said, smiling at the sight.

The crib had been built and above it hung a mobile, decorated with glass bluebirds. That had been a gift from David, apparently. Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the room.

"Glad you like it," Belle answered. "It took us a while to put the crib together, but we did it."

"Thank you," Rumple said, sincerely.

Right then, Tristan began to whimper. Rumple looked at Belle pleadingly.

While he'd done his best to care for the child as often as possible, there were some days that he was tired. He'd reverted back to his previous age a few days after Tristan had been born and that, combined with the baby's constant needs, sometimes made things difficult.

Belle held out her hands to take the baby, smiling and kissing the boy as she pulled him close.

"What do you think?" She asked, in a childish voice. "Do you like your room?"

She held the baby so that he could see it. The boy cooed in response.

"I'll take that as a yes," Mary said.

"Same here," Belle agreed.

"We're done in here!" Came two voices from down the hall.

Last Mary and Belle had checked, Emma and Henry were setting up Belle and Rumple's bedroom - moving in the bed and dressers and such.

Mary, Belle and Rumple all left the nursery and went to see what their friends had done.

"Oh my goodness! You didn't have to do all of this!" Belle exclaimed.

The two had not only set up the bed and dressers but had hung curtains and laid out sheets and blankets. All that was left was for Belle and Rumple to unpack their clothing.

The mother and son looked tired, but Rumple had one last task for them.

"There's one more thing…" He left the room, everyone following behind them. He opened the door to yet another room farther into the house. "This room. It's a spare bedroom. One of two, actually."

"You want us to set something up here?" Emma asked.

Rumple smiled.

"No. I want you to choose what you want it to look like. Choose what you want both rooms to look like - I'll show you the other. Decide what you want in them, because they'll be yours, for when you come to visit.

"Really?!" Henry asked, excited.

"Really," Rumple answered.

This set Henry off on a litany of different ideas - how he'd put a big queen sized bed against a certain wall and hang a flat screened television on the wall. There'd be shelves for books, too. Comic books were important, after all.

Meanwhile, Mary and Emma looked at each other.

"I'm sure we can all come to some compromises," Emma finally said. The other woman nodded in agreement.

"You're all always welcome here," Belle told them. "You're pretty much family now."

"Yes, you're stuck with us," Rumple added.

Mary Margaret smiled.

"I think we can handle that."


End file.
